Crumbling Foundations
by Embrace-the-Mustard
Summary: Things like this didn't happen in Karasuno. It was just a school. Learning, making friends, taking exams and playing volleyball - lots of volleyball. So it was really nothing out of the ordinary for the team to be in the gym on a simple Monday morning, training away. But two men walking into the gym with guns, one demanding to take his son? That wasn't ordinary, not at all...
1. Shoyo Hinata

**Hi everyone! I'm not 100% sure what to put here, apart from 'hope you enjoy'! This is my first Haikyuu! ! fic, so I'm pretty nervous about it. Though I'm excited too, so I'm really hoping you'll stick around! Have fun! It's inspired by the novel 'This is not a Drill' by Beck McDowell. Definitely recommend! -Zakkie**

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE: SHOYO HINATA**

* * *

The teen sighed as he walked into the living room to find it devoid of life, but the TV left blaring. He flicked it to mute, setting his shoes down and tugging on his socks. He yawned, glancing at the clock on the wall. The glowing numbers told him it was ten past six. If he was looking to arrive at the gym on time, he wouldn't have had to get up until at least half past six but he liked getting there early and setting up.

Once ready, he headed for the door, grabbing a few muesli bars to eat after practice along with an apple. He had basically only just left when the home phone came to life, ringing frantically.

**Caller ID: Dad's Mobile**

* * *

It was morning practice, the session nearly over. It had been a good few hours with the team coming up with new inventive ways for everyone to unlock their full potential. There was energy and laughter and no one had gotten hit in the head with a ball yet.

Kuroo and Kenma were there, the timid setter having been dragged into a sleepover at Hinata's (it was Monday, and Tokyo schools had a teacher training day) and Kuroo having come down to drag him back home. Both had accepted Hinata's offer to train with Karasuno - well, Kenma had no choice - so here they were.

Apart from Nishinoya and Tanaka, none of the second years had shown up, but with what was to come...it was probably good for them.

Ukai had left for to tend to the shop, being that there wasn't much of practice left. He'd left a plastic bag full of melon bread behind, though.

The thumping of balls echoed around the gym, but one mismatched _thud _joined the chorus. The door had blown open in a particularly strong gust of wind, leaving two startled men in the now open doorway.

And that was when the great gym, the safe haven of the volleyball team, first began to crumble.

* * *

He was tall.

_He was really tall._

That was the first impression Hinata got from the man. Probably a few centimetres taller than Asahi and a lot more muscular, he had a tattoo of a dragon swirling up his left arm and carried a bulging backpack. His hair was grey and cropped short.

The second man was smaller, but no less intimidating. His hair was tufty and brown and his face gave him a grumpy look that was even worse than a ticked-off Kageyama's.

Suga tensed in front of Hinata, obviously put off by the sudden appearance of men. The smaller player didn't have time to ask who he was before Daichi stepped forward.

"Can I help you?" he asked firmly, hands crossed over his chest in a posture demanding respect. No-one came barging into his gym unannounced and interrupted practise without getting at least a little of a scolding, Hinata knew that.

"Yeah." The man nodded. "I've come to get my son."

_His voice is really gruff_, the ginger thought to himself absent-mindedly. _Anyway, there can't be much of practise left, right?_

"Son?" Daichi frowned. "Are you in the right place?"

Hinata almost turned away, but his eyes lingered on the two men and his captain. Daichi was on edge now, his entire body tensing up. That wasn't normal.

"Yeah," the man said again. "Koushi…"

Hinata's, as well as everyone else's, eyes flew to Suga who was staring at the men with shock scrawled all across his features.

"Come on, we're going."

"What…" Suga broke off before straightening up, looking nervous. "What are you doing here?"

"Come on," the man repeated. "We're going."

"No." Suga shook his head. "You can't just march in here..."

"Why not?" The man, obviously Suga's father, had adopted a dangerous tone now, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the teenagers (and Takeda) surrounding his..._son_. His partner was hovering behind them with his eyes darting from person to person.

"Sir, I'm afraid you can't just come into the school and take your son out, not without permission from the front office and a valid reason," Takeda said evenly, stepping up so that he was level with Daichi. He looked nervous too - probably due to the intimidating size of Suga's father and his scary-looking friend. "Perhaps you'd like to go do that?"

The man shook his head in reply.

"They won't let me," he muttered. "They won't let me take my son."

"Sir, please." Takeda tried again. "I'm sure you can work it out."

"No," Suga's dad insisted.

"Dad," Suga said quietly, the first time he'd called the man that name. He looked pale and awfully jittery, and Hinata couldn't blame him.

"Come on Koushi." His father demanded. "We're going right now."

He stepped forward and a few of the less rowdy of the students took a step back. The more confident of them stayed put, Tanaka looking like he was about to make a break for the stubborn man. Daichi remained where he was with Takeda beside him.

"You cannot remove your son from this school." Takeda said firmly.

"Yes I can," the man shot right back. "Koushi is coming with me."

"No." Suga shook his head. The rest of the team were silent, all of them old enough to know that something serious was going on, even boisterous Hinata. In fact, the young volley-fanatic was starting to feel very uncomfortable. The situation didn't seem to have an easily foreseeable solution. All of his trust was in Takeda.

"Please, the staff at the office can help with this issue." Takeda said calmly, trying to keep a level head in this situation despite the obvious tension in the room.

"They can't." Suga's father snapped. "They won't let me near him. They go round thinking they can just take my son from me! Well, they can't! And I won't let you keep him either." And with that he swung the backpack around, hand diving in and pulling out in one smooth motion.

A gun.

Pointed directly at Takeda's forehead.

"I'm taking my son with me. Now."

* * *

Hinata's mind scrambled for an explanation and drew a blank.

_Gun. A handgun. In a guy's bag...in_ Suga's dad's _bag...and...now it's pointed at Teacher…_

He had the bizarre urge to laugh, despite his churning stomach and a brain that felt semi-stir fried. Things like this happened in the movies, not the gym of Karasuno High.

In front of him, Takeda had frozen in place like a cardboard standee with his back to everyone but the intruders. The only thing that gave away the fact that he was alive was how his hands shook at his sides. Daichi had jumped back involuntarily, his eyes wide and mouth failing to get itself closed.

The man with Suga's father looked surprised too, but took it in his stride and held his ground behind the man. He was eyeing the volleyball players beyond the tense trio before him as if he were picking out the nicest loaf of bread.

Following his gaze, Hinata swallowed and looked around the gym. He himself was standing just in front of the net in the centre of the gym, Kageyama just to his left with a ball gripped tightly in his hands. He'd been about to toss when the doors had blown open.

In seconds, Hinata saw an array of expressions which ranged from blank shock like Kageyama beside him to full-blown horror like that of Yamaguchi staring from the storeroom door.

Kenma and Kuroo had taken a break on the bench only moments ago. Now Kenma was looking towards the danger with surprise in his wide eyes (his version of openly gawking) and his teammate had frozen holding his drink bottle about to be sprayed into his mouth.

Beyond them, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi had just emerged from the storage room with their arms full of volleyballs, the former looking alarmed behind his glasses.

Asahi was behind Kageyama, by the edge of the court. He'd been waiting to judge Hinata's movement, but now he was gaping at the teacher who was facing the barrel of a gun less than ten metres away.

Between the ace player and the gun stood Tanaka and Suga. The normally 'scary'-faced second-year was staring with his mouth wide open whilst his silvery-haired teammate looked stark terrified.

There was a bouncing symphony as Yamaguchi dropped his load of balls and they rolled all over the gym floor.

"Geez, thanks guys, leave me to get the spare net!" came a grumble from the doorway as a small figure staggered in covered in a tangle of ropes. "I think Asahi put that up there…"

"Nishinoya…" Daichi swallowed as the teen strangled himself in netting. "You should have stayed out there."

"What?!" Nishinoya staggered forward and almost tripped up as he stood right next to the intruders. "Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of _nets and abandonment!"_

"Noya…" Asahi said quietly, trying to catch his attention.

"And I'll bet my hair's all messed up now!"

"Noya."

"I walked into three walls on the way here!"

"_Noya."_

"And why are you all so quiet?!"

"Yuu!" the third year shouted just as the new arrival managed to wrestle free of the netting and throw it to the ground.

Tawny eyes raked the gym for all of seven and a half seconds, taking in the scene. Nishinoya froze where he stood, just beside the two men and gave them a slow glance up and down.

"Um," he said carefully, eyes darting conspicuously. "I was just going."

Hinata winced as he backed towards the door.

_Fwip!_

A second later and Noya found the second man's gun aimed at his chest.

"Nishino…" Takeda started, but gulped and screwed his eyes shut as Suga's father nudged his own gun into his forehead.

"Don't move, kid. Not unless you want that uniform and everything under it ruined," the man aiming at Karasuno's libero said slowly. "Get over there."

Noya raised his hands into the air and walked slowly towards the centre of the court to stand between Kageyama and Asahi. The ace looked down at his friend with a good deal of concern, but breathed a little easier on seeing he looked unharmed.

Quite pissed off though.

There was a brief silence, wherein the students continued to stare at Takeda and Suga's father. Now that the second man had drawn his gun, the situation was even stickier.

Hinata switched his gaze from them to the intruders, feeling his heart speed up significantly as he was once again made aware that he was stuck in a gym with two hostile gunmen intent on taking one of his teammates away with them.

And seriously...didn't this kind of thing only happen in movies? Or on the news? In some far off, unstable country that had no contact with the rest of the world? Hinata had seen it on TV, but never had he imagined something like this would happen in _Karasuno._

In fact, he was _still _unsure this was completely real as opposed to some kind of wild dream caused by the blunt force trauma of crashing face-first into a wall or something.

Yeah… That had to be right. He was dreaming. Obviously, he'd been trying to receive a serve and sprinted right into the gym wall, consequently knocking himself out. Because things like this just didn't happen.

Not in Karasuno_._

In the distance, he could hear Takeda speaking to the two men, probably trying to talk the gun away from his forehead. Some of his teammates were muttering amongst themselves, confused and scared. But what did something like that matter? He was dreaming!

He smiled at the realisation and turned to Nishinoya. The second-year looked at him in alarm as he stepped past him and up to Kageyama.

"What are you doing?" hissed the black-haired player. "Keep still, dumbass! You really don't need another hole in that empty head of yours!"

"It's a very good impression of grumpy Kageyama, brain," said Hinata and held his arm out. "But you're not fooling me. You can pinch me awake now."

Kageyama stared at him like his head had suddenly morphed into a volleyball. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well, this is a dream, so—"

"_Idiot!" _Kageyama shoved the ball he held beneath one arm and grabbed Hinata's outstretched arm roughly before pinching it. Hard. Like, barely stifled squeak hard.

Hinata's eyes widened as his teammate pulled him forward a little and glared right into his face.

"This isn't a dream, Shoyo." he stated lowly. His dark eyes bored into Hinata's and the teen felt cold dread seeping up from his feet all over again. Dread at the fact that the scariest thing in his known universe was staring him down with a spark of fear in his eyes.

_No… This can't be… It has to be… No way…_

Takeda flinched as Suga's father tapped the gun to his forehead again. He was shaking hard, but continuing to talk as best he could. Hinata couldn't see his face, but he knew that there was no way someone so polite and clumsy would be able to keep a calm face whilst staring down the barrel of a gun.

_The barrel of a gun._

Hinata went numb as that weird urge to laugh bubbled up inside him again. This was too crazy! Just too crazy! But…there was no way he could pretend it wasn't happening now. No way… Undeniably, undeniably crazy.

"But…" Hinata looked around again shakily. "Why…"

Everything was silent. The gym without the sound of chatter or volleyballs bouncing off wrists and floors and sometimes the ceiling was something far too unsettling.

Suga was shaking next to Tanaka, staring at his father like he'd crawled back from the dead.

Nishinoya and Asahi's eyes were glued to the teacher and his assailants.

Daichi had stepped a few paces back from the danger at Takeda's request.

Kuroo had put down his bottle without drinking anything and Kenma met Hinata's gaze.

The Nekoma setter seemed to be trying to communicate with his eyes. His face seemed calm enough, save a couple of drops of sweat, but he looked to be silently questioning Hinata across the hall.

_I don't know! _The ginger teen attempted to get his confusion across in reply. _I'm just as lost as anyone!_

Kenma tilted his head forward a little, in some odd way of accepting Hinata's frantic eye motions and comforting him all at once.

"Sir, I'm sorry but I'm not allowed to let you leave with your son without the office's permission," Takeda stated, his voice shaking a little. But you had to hand it to him - when it came to being persistent, there was no man who could one-up him.

In the distance, the school bell rang.

Hinata whimpered a little. Outside, school would be continuing just like normal. Everyone would be joining their classmates for the day's classes. Complaining about the strict history teacher. Rejoicing when they passed their tests, or despairing when they didn't.

_Will they even notice I'm missing?_ he thought, gripping one hand in the other and digging in with his nails. He ripped his gaze away from the scuffle and down, looking at the little red marks his fingernails were making.

"Listen!" Suga's father shouted, making everyone jump and Takeda flinch. "I don't care about your damn school rules! I don't care about the law! You think I'd be here with this gun if I was worried about following your petty codes?!"

"Taro!" The second man broke in, giving a name to Suga's father. His tone lowered and Hinata just caught, "Man, calm down. You don't want a repeat of last time, right?"

Suga's father, Taro, gritted his teeth and his grip on his gun tightened.

"I'm sure we can find a better solution for this than violence," said Takeda weakly, but without hesitating. "If you'd lower your gun, I can escort you to the front office and we'll work—"

"No!" Taro exclaimed roughly. "We aren't going to the front office! I'm leaving with Koushi right now! Hand him over!"

Takeda tensed as the man shouted and Hinata found himself imagining what it would be like to be on the receiving end of Taro's wrath. He wouldn't be able to handle the situation any better than a can of watermelon soda would.

"D… Dad."

Thirteen pairs of eyes turned in Suga's direction, where the third-year was standing firmly next to a Tanaka who looked to Hinata like his eyes were about to pop out on stalks like some weird cartoon.

"Point the gun away from Mr Takeda," the teen said quietly. "Please."

"Koushi…" Taro looked away from Takeda for the first time in a while. "Come home with me."

"Lower the gun, dad." Suga's eyes were stone hard, despite his trembling fists.

"Kou—"

"Now!"

Everyone stared in mute shock.

Taro locked eyes with his son, who didn't avert his gaze or move a single inch.

"Suga…" Daichi started to say something, but his friend cut him off with a slight shake of his head. He didn't break eye contact with his father.

Eventually, Taro lowered his hand and pointed the gun at the ground.

"Thank you." Suga closed his eyes for a second, looking to bolster himself. He opened them and stepped forward.

"Suga!" Tanaka started after him, but the setter halted him with one hand.

"Don't. It's me that he wants."

"I know that, but…" He stopped moving and Nishinoya stepped up behind him.

"I think he knows what he's doing," the tufty-haired teen said softly.

_Key word being 'think'. _Hinata's forehead creased out of worry as Suga walked slowly and deliberately through the gym.

"Koushi." Taro held out his free hand, but most people were still focusing on the gun. "Come."

"If you want me, you'll have to go through the office," Suga replied firmly. "Mrs Matsuda has the early dismissal forms."

Somewhere, an office worker at the school sneezed.

"I'm not filling out a _form _to take what's rightfully mine," Taro growled. "You are my son. No-one can get in the way."

Suga put his shoulders back. "Then I'm not going."

Hinata felt himself shaking. He wasn't even anywhere near the centre of attention this time, and yet he was sure he was more terrified than Suga or even Takeda. He squeezed his eyes shut. _Man up, Hinata! Kageyama would be making fun of you if he weren't busy staring at something else!_

Taro's teeth showed as he grew irritated. His jaw was set as he ground out, "We're not going to the office!"

Suga stood firm. His fists twisted nervously.

"Come with me, Koushi!"

"_I will not!"_

The setter was breathing fast now, staring at his father's angry face. His confidence seemed to be shrinking by the second.

Taro's face was turning red and he gripped his gun tight once more.

_This is it_, thought Hinata bleakly. _We're all gonna get shot. We're all gonna die now. And I'll never be an ace, and I'll never be a super-cool upperclassman, and I'll never…_

But he was mistaken, as Taro refused to pull the gun on his own flesh and blood.

"We can't go through the office," the man growled. "I tried going through the office. The office doesn't like people like me."

No-one said anything for a moment.

"That's why we're just going to _leave_."

Suga cast a quick glance around. Hinata caught it and tried his hardest to look...well, anything but as scared as he felt.

"But…" he started. He took a breath. "But you can't just walk out of school now! You'd have to walk by at least two corridors and the faculty room. Someone's bound to see you for sure."

"He's right," murmured Taro's grumpy-faced companion.

"Fine," snarled the man. "Then we'll wait. We'll wait right here, 'til everyone's gone and then leave."

_Someone's bound to notice we're all missing, right? _thought Hinata, wringing his hands again. _Right?_

He whispered this to Nishinoya, and the second year forced a smile. "Of course," came the hushed reply. "And if they come quick enough, they might just save the day before I do."

Hinata smiled a little in return, but he had a feeling it was just as pretend-looking as Noya's. "Just...don't do anything weird."

"Get comfy, kids," the second intruder called out, making sure Yamaguchi and Tsukishima could hear. "'Cause you're gonna be here a while!"

"And no-one's leaving!" added Taro aggressively, waving his gun for emphasis. "Got it?"

Although they'd figured that out quite some time ago, the new hostages nodded anyway.

The hostile gunman looked to be arguing with himself just beneath the surface. Hinata would bet his trainers that he and his partner had planned to wait until practise was over before snatching Suga as he left the gym. But that plan had been ruined when the doors blew open, and now he was running with a poorly thought-out Plan B.

Up the back, Tsukishima began clearing up the balls Yamaguchi had left to roll everywhere.

Asahi looked like he was considering helping, but went to take the net down instead.

_I guess there isn't much point in leaving it up, _thought Hinata, watching silently.

"Wait."

It had come from Kageyama.

Asahi paused and looked down at him as he bounced his ball once and caught it again. He looked _way _too calm for the situation. _He must have finally gone crazy, then._

"We're not allowed to leave, but we can keep practising, right?"

Hinata's jaw dropped. His teammate seemed not to notice his blatant dumbfounded-ness and continued staring questioningly at their captors.

The stern-faced man glowered, but Kageyama's dark gaze was just as intense. It was like staring into a pointed drill held right in front of your face, by Hinata's description.

"No." Taro didn't miss a beat.

"Let the kids mess around for a while," his partner put in. "It's not like they can do anything else."

"This is why you'll never make it anywhere, Komatsu," grumbled Suga's father. "You're too easy on everyone."

"Don't let the punks play then!" 'Komatsu' replied with a shrug. "See how long you can put up with them complaining about having nothing to do."

Tsukishima nodded and tossed a lazy finger towards Nishinoya and Hinata. "It's true. The two little guys over there won't shut up until you let them play."

The 'two little guys' would have snapped something back any other day, but today was an abnormal day and all he got was a little bit of a grumpy look.

Kageyama bounced his ball lightly a couple more times, waiting for Taro's verdict.

"Fine. Whatever. Just don't make too much noise."

"Let's do a few digs," said Kageyama, spinning the volleyball and turning to Hinata. "Then pepper—"

"A-are you nuts?" asked Hinata disbelievingly. "Stuck in a gym with two gun guys and we're just gonna keep practise going? For how long? Until night time?!"

Tanaka sighed noisily from beside him. "Right. There's dedication, then whatever this is."

Nishinoya slid closer and nodded. "I can't say I'd rather sit still though…"

"There's a good reason I said what I did," murmured Kageyama. "Tsukishima knows it too. Probably Yamaguchi as well, from that angle…"

"Yup, nuts." Hinata buried his face in his palms. "If we have to send you to a mental hospital, Kageyama, who's gonna do the quicks with me?"

"Shut it, airhead!" Kageyama tossed him the ball roughly. "I'm not nuts! If you three want my reason, look at your Nekoma buddy over there! But not all at once."

Hinata threw the ball lightly to Nishinoya, who glanced towards the bench Kenma and Kuroo occupied. The latter was sitting there and drinking inconspicuously, whilst his teammate was quietly watching Daichi, Suga and Asahi talking carefully to Takeda.

"What…?" He shook his head. "Sorry Kageyama. Looks like we need a new creepy setter. You must be defective."

"Look at his _hand_," the black-haired player growled under his breath as he caught the ball and passed it to Tanaka. "_Behind his back."_

At that, the two second years' eyes widened.

"What is it?" Hinata asked urgently, having his back to the Nekoma pair.

Tanaka suppressed a quick grin. "Aww, I guess they are useful after all!"

Nishinoya's eyes lit up for a brief second.

"What? What?" repeated Hinata.

"Shh!" Kageyama passed the ball to the ginger's face. "I started practise again to try and divide their attention. That Nekoma setter is texting behind his back."

"Oh!" Hinata's awe was hushed. He tossed the ball to Nishinoya. Now he remembered a conversation he'd had with Kenma not too long ago.

"_Wow! You really are good at these app games!"_

"_They're very easy…"_

"_Easy, huh? Could you play it behind your back?"_

"_Probably."_

"And the Bedhead Captain is telling him what to send," added Tanaka, bringing Hinata back to the gym. "Right?"

Kageyama nodded tensely. "Probably. We just need to keep them out of the spotlight for a moment. You're pretty good at that, airhead. Go crash into a fence or something."

Hinata blew out his cheeks. "Let's not. Now, what did you say about digging?"

The four of them moved apart a little way as Tsukishima and Yamaguchi began practising their serves in the back end of the gym.

And that was when the worst could have happened, and the strong foundation the team's safe gym had been built on began to tremble.

_Dee~Dee~Dee~Deedlee~!_

_Deedle~eedle~eedle~ee~!_

And the Nekoma players' plan went down the drain as the realisation clicked in Taro and Komatsu's heads.

"Whose phone is ringing?!" snapped Taro, whipping his gaze around. He raised the gun again. "Which one of you is it?"

Kenma silently dropped his phone onto the bench, looking alarmed. It wasn't him the ringing was coming from.

_Deedle~ee~_

_Deedle~ee~_

_Deedle~Dee~Dee~Deedee~Dee~!_

The noise was coming from the front of the gym, where the third-years and Takeda were. Once they'd worked that out, it wasn't hard to see who was at blame for reminding the gunmen that most high-schoolers had phones.

Daichi winced and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a blocky little Nokia that was blasting out the cheery tune in a demand to be answered. He held it between two fingers, closing his eyes and sighing. They snapped open again a second later as he found a gun turned on his chest.

"Hang up," said Taro, looking thunderous. "Hang up, then drop it."

Kuroo subtly grabbed Kenma's phone and slipped it back into the setter's open jumper pocket, trying to make it look like he was shifting around to see what was happening.

Hinata bit his lip as he realised that if it weren't for him, the two of them would be at home enjoying a rare pupil free day from their school. Instead, they were hostages in an unfamiliar gym, held by a couple of gun-wielding kidnappers.

Turning his attention back to his captain, the teen saw Daichi press a button on the tiny phone's keypad and place it on the floor.

"All of you!" shouted Taro, sweeping the gun around in an arc. His eyes were hot with rage and he clenched the gun menacingly. "Put your damn phones down here! I know you've all got 'em! And if I so much as see you flick them on, someone will get shot!"

Everyone seemed frozen in place for a few seconds. This was broken by Takeda.

"Do as he says, all of you," the teacher said, seeming to somehow remain calm.

"And if I find out that any of you have hidden phones from me," said Taro in a deadly tone, "there will be trouble."

With that said, a few hostages walked stiffly over to their duffle bags, some reached into their pockets, and a few didn't move.

"Um, I left mine in the club room," said Nishinoya. He exposed his palms as Taro narrowed his eyes at him. "Honest, my phone isn't here!"

"_Anyone else_ happen to leave their phone somewhere?" asked Taro in a tone that indicated that he didn't believe him.

Yamaguchi and Asahi raised their hands.

"I broke mine last Thursday…" Yamaguchi muttered, looking down.

"Mine's useless. I left it home," Asahi confessed. "I know I shouldn't, but…"

"You left your phone at home?" repeated Komatsu. "What, think a thug like you doesn't need one?"

"'Thug'...?" Asahi echoed, his expression growing worried and offended all at once. "N-no, I just…! It's just a tiny flip phone and it's flat so I didn't bother to bring it…"

A few seconds passed.

"It's Samsung…" Asahi added pointlessly.

"You three." Komatsu nodded at the boys without phones. "Turn out your pockets."

Nishinoya, Yamaguchi and Asahi glanced at each other. Their shorts didn't have any pockets.

"We don't have those either," replied Noya, tugging his shorts edgily.

"Whatever." Taro flicked his gun at the spot where Daichi's mobile was. "Everyone else, hand 'em over."

Kenma stood, his face set in a frown. He walked forward, along with Kuroo.

Nishinoya and Kageyama made for their duffle bags as Takeda placed his mobile next to Daichi's. Suga grabbed his off the floor near the front of the gym where he'd put it before practise.

Hinata kept his eyes on Kenma. If Taro decided to turn the Nekoma player's phone on, he was sure to see the text draft. Unless Kenma had a lock screen…but his phone didn't look like the type that would.

"Darnit…" Hinata gulped and watched Kenma pull his mobile out of his pocket. _Please don't turn it on!_

With a close eye on Taro and Komatsu, Kenma dipped his hand into his pocket and drew out his mobile. Holding it by his side, he quickly flicked it on.

Hinata drew in a quick breath. _That's too risky! He'll get seen for sure!_

"Hey!" The exclamation came from Taro.

_This is it! We're done for! So long, dreams and ambitions… _Hinata squeezed his eyes shut.

Kenma froze and flicked off his phone, but it wasn't him being shouted at.

"You there!" Taro switched the aim of his gun as the Nekoma setter put his phone down and backed off. He was truly sweating now, his hands shaking as he straightened.

Kuroo slid his phone into the pile as well, brushing Kenma's arm with his as he did so. The two shared a look and Kuroo nodded slightly, trying to reassure Kenma, so quick that the hostiles didn't notice.

But then...if it wasn't them…

"Why aren't you moving, brat?"

Hinata's pulse rate soared. He'd never stared down the barrel of a gun before, but now he knew that it truly was a terrifying thing. The small black circle seemed to expand, swallowing everything else until all the teen could see was an all-encompassing sea of dark.

One quick tug of Taro's finger was all it would take to end his life, and that was a thought that sent his mind spinning like he'd just tilted over the top of a rollercoaster.

And the only thing he managed to squeak was, "M-me?"

"Yeah, you. Ginger." Taro stepped closer. "Where's your phone?"

"I-I-It's in my bag!" Hinata stammered, too scared to even move his arm to point.

"Then why don't you go get it?!"

He couldn't reply. He could feel his breaths coming in quick gasps and a sick feeling rising from his stomach to crush his chest like a demonic claw. Dotty grey smudges pressed on the edges of his vision.

One quick tug. That was all.

He felt something hard press into his hand.

"Your phone, Hinata."

The first year managed to twitch his head to the side, where Nishinoya was grabbing his hand and shoving a mobile into it. His brown eyes were urgent and ridiculously intense.

Hinata looked down. There was a phone his hand, but it wasn't his. Same make, same model, but this one was orange, not silver. It was Nishinoya's.

"Noya…" he started, voice trembling.

_Don't question me. _The libero kept staring with that burning importance in his eyes. "Give them your phone."

He gave his teammate a gentle push forward.

Hinata moved forward jerkily, unable to feel his legs. He looked at Daichi instead of the gun, hoping to find at least a little confidence in his captain. He was shaking so hard it was difficult to walk.

Tsukishima had just put down his phone as Hinata walked up, all the while trying not to think of the pistol aimed almost lazily at his chest. The tall first-year was looking at the floor uncomfortably and his shorter teammate found the expression awfully unsettling on someone whose face was usually stuck on a default 'I don't care'.

"Tsukishi—"

"Hurry up!"

Hinata jumped and let out a terrified squeak as Taro snapped at him and the phone flew out of his hands. He saw it fall to the ground and crack into several pieces which skittered across the ground between his and Tsukishima's feet.

"A…ah…" Hinata shook as a fresh wave of helplessness nearly swept him off his feet. "I-I'm sorry!"

Tsukishima bent over and swept the broken pieces into a pile, pushing them up to everyone else's phones. He didn't even utter something like 'klutz' or 'idiot', which almost made Hinata feel worse.

"I'm so sorry!" he cried out to Nishinoya. Then he realised his mistake. _I'm such an idiot! Darnit!_

Luckily, Noya could be a lot more convincing than Hinata was giving him credit for. "What are you apologising to me for? It's your phone!"

Taro and Komatsu seemed to have put Hinata's random apology down to nerves and let their training continue without question. And to be honest, he wasn't surprised they thought he'd blabbered out of fear; he was trembling harder than he ever remembered having done before. His stomach felt like it was exploring some kind of internal theme park and he couldn't quite manage to breathe right.

But at least he was no longer in the line of fire. That gave him a little relief, though the realisation that he was still in danger brought his anxiety back only a second later.

"I'm really sorry," he mumbled to Nishinoya as he reached him. "I'm such a klutz."

"No problem." Noya patted Hinata's spiky hair and smiled. "It's just a phone. I'm hoping you have credit? 'Cause that's why I switched out phones. I'm fresh out, and we needed to hold on to something."

Hinata nodded as his hair was squished. "I think have credit. But, if they find my phone…"

"Relax. Our bags are right next to each other, so on the off chance they look, it'll be me in trouble."

That thought didn't really help at all and Hinata and he whimpered, "But I don't want you to…"

"I'll be fine! I'm your awesome upperclassman, right?" he ruffled the ginger spikes playfully.

Kageyama butted in with a grunt. "It looks weird when a short person pats someone's head."

Noya thankfully ignored him and held up a volleyball. "Pepper?" he suggested, but Hinata shook his head.

"No thanks," he said quietly. "I'll just watch. Tanaka can play instead."

"That isn't like you, Hinata. But if that's what you want…"

Hearing his name, the baldy player leaned on Kageyama, who turned his head to glare. "Someone say pepper?"

"Yeah! You can spike, I'll pass and Kageyama can set. Unless you want to switch it up a bit?"

"I'm fine with that."

"I wanted to go back to setting today."

"Awesome."

Hinata wandered backwards as they started hitting the ball about before dropping down into a crouch and pressing against the wall. He eventually found himself curled up hugging his knees and watching the ball fly around between his friends.

Taro and Komatsu were watching them from by the gym's only unlocked door.

Hinata looked down again and wondered just how long they could keep this pseudo-normalcy going. It wouldn't be long until they were hungry, and only Suga had brought a few snacks. What then?

And what would happen when the end of the day rolled around? Would Suga be taken away? What would Taro do with him once he had him? Whatever the case, it couldn't be good. Suga obviously didn't want to go with him.

And what if something happened between now and then? Hinata didn't know how many bullets fit into a pistol, but he was sure that it was at least six, and it that was true… Apart from Taro and Komatsu, there were twelve people in the gym.

And who knew what would happen? Taro seemed flippantly unstable - there was no telling what could happen.

And after that, what would happen? If they never made it out of this gym, would anyone even know? What if the two men just hid their bodies away and no-one ever knew what happened to the Karasuno volleyball team?

And what of Kuroo and Kenma? It was entirely Hinata's fault that they were even here.

Too many questions with answers that couldn't be grasped. All there was to do was wait, and that wasn't exactly Hinata's strong point. He pressed his forehead into his knees and sighed heavily.

Everyone else was trying to maintain a strangled sense of routine, though you could see in their stiff motions and hesitant smiles that all of them were just as on edge as each other.

"Hinata?"

It was Takeda. The teacher offered a wan smile and crouched down.

"They're worried about you," he said, pointing to the third years' little cluster. "Why aren't you playing?"

"Well…" Hinata shuffled a little. "Volleyball is something that is fun, right? You do it 'cause you enjoy it, right? And if I'm so scared now, I don't want to risk remembering being this scared when I was playing volleyball. I want to remember playing when being happy instead."

Takeda frowned as if he didn't quite understand the teen's logic, but accepted it anyway. "So are you just going to sit here the whole time?"

Hinata shrugged. "I…I don't know."

"Well, I can't play, so I guess I'll sit here too." That said, Takeda moved to a space of wall next to Hinata and sat down with his legs folded.

"We'll get out of here," Takeda told him quietly. "So don't worry too much. As long as we're all sensible, everything will be okay."

"Tanaka and Nishinoya aren't very sensible," said Hinata.

"Then I guess everyone else will just have to be twice as sensible."

The aspiring ace shrugged again, but accepted this theory. He offered a weak smile of his own. "Okay."

But the shaky foundations couldn't hold up the peace forever.

* * *

**This is a colllaboration work as well, between myself and a close friend. Our other accounts are 'ZakuroU' and 'Toph Hitsugaya'.**

**We'd be more than happy if you'd stick around for the rest of the fic - and reviews are little soul nibblies of course. Hope you had fun!**


	2. Ittetsu Takeda

**Heyo! Toph Hitsugaya here! Thanks for all the lovely reviews and the follows and favourites! I hope you enjoy this chapter, written by moi.**

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**CHAPTER 2: ITTETSU TAKEDA**

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Takeda clenched his fists, trying to stop them from shaking. It wouldn't do well to show Hinata how scared he was. He couldn't help it though, what with two armed men trying to take away one of his students who obviously did not want to go with them. One subtle glance over at the trembling Suga proved this.

Takeda took a deep breath, trying to let the tension in his body ease.

_But I need to be tense, _he thought as he tapped his thigh nervously. _If he attempts to shoot, I have to be prepared to lunge at him._

It was a stupid thing to do, a no go in a situation like this, but there was no way he was letting any of his students get hurt. Not under his watch. He'd sworn he'd help this team in any way possible and even though at the time he'd only meant he'd help them get to nationals, that didn't mean he was about to give up on them right now.

This whole situation…it was scary. He wasn't going to lie just because he was the teacher here. It wasn't good to start trying to come across as brave. That would be a recipe for disaster. The best solution right now was to act calm, optimistic and try and defuse the situation without resorting to violence. Hopefully since Suga's father had come to get him, he'd be reluctant to fire any shots in fear of hitting the ashen haired setter.

"Teacher…" Hinata's weak voice broke his train of thought. "Are you meant to be teaching now?" The small fist year was either trying to distract himself or working out if anyone would notice that the volleyball club was missing from morning lessons.

"No, unfortunately," Takeda gave Hinata a small smile. "I planned to just do some marking, maybe look up more volleyball moves for everyone to try out." He nodded over at the rest of the teenagers in the gym, who were playing in an attempt to take their minds off the current situation. All bar Kenma, who was instead just watching through narrowed eyes. His fingers absently tapped the floor as if it was a game.

"I had English." Hinata gave a trembling smile in return. "I'm not very good at it."

"Maybe you could get a tutor sometime," Takeda suggested. It was now obvious that Hinata was trying to find a way to ignore the two men in the room.

Hinata's smile dropped. "Maybe," he muttered, glancing over at the men before quickly switching his gaze back to Takeda. "When we get out of here…"

_If we get out of here_, Takeda's mind automatically changed the hopeful sentence to one of fear. Glad that he hadn't said this out loud, he focused on watching the volleyballs flying through the air, hoping to retain a sense of the norm that had slipped away.

Kageyama seemed just as focused as ever, if not more. His movements however, were stiff and he kept glancing over at Hinata and Takeda sitting side by side.

"Oi, dumbass!" he yelled eventually. "Get over here." Hinata's grip on his knees tightened but he didn't reply.

"Kageyama, he doesn't have to." Daichi called over from the third years, his voice a little quiet, his eyes sliding over to Taro.

"If we want to win, he needs to practice," Kageyama insisted.

Takeda wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry because _priorities, _Kageyama. Was he not aware of the two men standing there with _guns _who threatened to take Suga away - with every intention of following through - at the end of the day?

"Kageyama." Suga fixed his eyes on his shoes. Takeda felt a flash of pity run through him for the third year. "This isn't the time."

"Yeah? What else are we supposed to do?" Kageyama yelled, ignoring the unspoken rule that the team were going to try and be quiet. "I mean, are we just going to sit here and…" He trailed off. "…just let them take Suga?" he said, a lot quieter.

"Kageyama." Takeda stood, walking over to the frowning first year to place his hand on his shoulder. "We're not going to let them take Suga, but getting angry isn't going to help either. Just calm down. This is a scary situation."

"Whatever." Kageyama shrugged the hand off, turning away to scoop up the ball again. Takeda snuck a glance over at Taro and Komatsu who were talking quietly, one gun aimed at the door and the other in the general direction of the team.

He swallowed. This was real, not like the books he'd read on the bus on the way home. And he was the leader here, in a way. The oldest, the teacher. He had to handle this situation calmly whilst taking care of everyone. The pressure was unbelievable.

If Tanaka and Nishinoya had retained their usual personalities given the situation hanging over their heads, then he would definitely have to watch out for them. They both seemed likely to lose their patience and jump the men, putting themselves and the team in danger.

He'd have to keep an eye on Hinata, possibly Yamaguchi and maybe Asahi. He didn't want anyone fainting on him when they had limited resources to take care of them. Hinata looked so scared that if you blew on him, he'd collapse.

And what about the Nekoma club members? How would they react to this situation? The setter, Kozume, he seemed very nervous despite the blank look on his face. And Kuroo, the captain, he was as wild as Nishinoya at times. He'd have to look out for him too.

Would the hall have a first aid kit? Takeda cast a careful eye around the gym. There was a fire extinguisher, not very helpful unless they wanted to take Taro and Komatsu by surprise. But there was no sign of what he really wanted, a first aid kit.

He twisted round to look behind him and saw a case near a bench. Good! At least he didn't have to be as worried as before about dealing with medical emergencies.

"Teacher?" Daichi had wandered over. Takeda nodded to him, looking around the gym to see how everyone was doing. Hinata was now sitting with Kenma, shaking with either fear or pent up energy. Everyone else was playing volleyball or watching the ball with mild interest. No one was looking at the gun aimed at them.

"Yes, Sawamura?" Takeda questioned, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Suga and I have been talking," he said hesitantly. The teacher glanced over to Suga. The third year was talking to Kageyama.

"Is something wrong?" Takeda said in a rush suddenly. Was somebody panicking? Was Suga okay?

"Suga… Suga says that if it comes down to it and there's no other way, he'll go with his father," Daichi said gruffly. "I just wanted to let you know that in case we have to go with that plan."

"No," Takeda said firmly, surprised at the strength in his voice. "I'm sorry Sawamura, but I'm not letting you and Suga follow through with that plan. I'm not letting him go with that man. But thank you for telling me. I have no intention of letting it get that serious."

"Right." Daichi nodded. The relief on his face proved that he also didn't want Suga to leave with his father and hadn't agreed with the ashen haired teen. "Thank you." He turned and walked back to Suga, dragging him away from Kageyama to talk.

Takeda sighed, moving to sit on the bench near the first aid kit. Komatsu glanced at him curiously before looking back to Taro. Takeda had honestly no idea what was going on.

_Maybe they're trying to think of a way to take Suga now, _he thought, frowning slightly.

What was he supposed to do, in that case? There was no way he was going to start making plans to escape. The mood would catch. Right now, the best option was to sit and wait this out. Hopefully someone would realise that he was missing and come searching. That or they'd call their mobiles…and the people holding them hostage would get angry.

Takeda crossed his fingers and hoped that none of the phones would ring again. It would just put everyone in more danger. Maybe everyone had switched their phones to silent when they handed them up.

_Was my phone on silent? _He groaned, realizing he couldn't remember. Well, this was great.

Takeda sucked in a deep breath, trying to focus on something other than the gun… The gun_ that was now pointing at him!_ What?! Why?!

"You're in charge here?" Taro asked loudly. The game of volleyball stopped almost immediately, the final sound being the thud of the ball hitting the ground before silence filled the room.

"I wouldn't say I'm in charge. I'm just the faculty advisor for the club," he said hastily.

"A teacher?" Komatsu said quietly from beside Taro.

"Well, yes," Takeda admitted despite his instincts screaming at him, telling him not to. Why did they want to know?

"So you're meant to be teaching right now?" Komatsu questioned, his voice still just as quiet as before.

Oh, that was why. "No," Takeda said, relieved that he wasn't. "But I'm due in a lesson soon."

"Damn," Taro hissed, spinning around to stare at Komatsu. They started muttering, occasionally sneaking looks at Takeda. He felt nerves take hold, his hands shaking as he realised that something bad was probably about to happen.

"Teacher?" Hinata whispered. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, Hinata," he forced a smile.

"Call in sick," Komatsu said suddenly.

"Yeah." Taro grinned. "And if you even try to ask for help, I'll shoot one of the kids."

A quiet whimper came from the direction of the teens. Takeda tensed up, his hands clenching into fists as he felt anger flow through him. How dare they! How dare they threaten him with the death of one of the club members!

"Fine." His jaw clenched.

"Get over here." Taro gestured with the gun and Takeda stood, giving a flimsy smile to the team (when had he started including Kenma and Kuroo in the team?) before walking slowly over to Taro who had moved to stand by the pile of phones.

Takeda picked his out of it, flipping it open and tapping a few buttons to get the front office's number to come up. He looked up at Taro, who was looming over him for confirmation that he should make the call. Taro nodded and aimed his gun at the group of teens, the barrel aimed right at Asahi.

The ace squeaked in terror and Takeda closed his eyes briefly. _You can do this_, he told himself. He pressed dial and held the phone to his ear, his throat suddenly dry as the ringing echoed in his ear.

There was a click and a polite, clipped voice filled his ear. "Hello?" Takeda's hands shook as he tried to think of what to say.

"Y-yes…um, it's Ittetsu Takeda," he began, trying to stop his hands from trembling so that he wouldn't drop the phone.

"Ah, hello," the voice said a little more warmly. "Is something wrong?"

He opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. He was choking up.

"Do it," Taro hissed, waving the gun in a threatening way. Someone (Hinata, maybe) started hiccuping.

"I'm sorry, I've caught a bad cold and can't come in today." Takeda said it in a rush, barely able to stop himself from tripping over the words.

"Ah, right," the voice simpered. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, sorry for the late notice." Takeda licked his lips, voice wavering. "I'll hopefully be back in tomorrow."

"That's okay. Don't rush your recovery. I'll call a sub in. Thank you."

"Yes, thank you," he said quickly. "Goodbye." He hung up before she could return the dismissal.

"Drop the phone now," Taro ordered and Takeda bent down to place it, reluctant to risk breaking it despite how absurd worrying about that now seemed to be.

"Now will you please move the gun away from the team?" Takeda asked firmly when Taro kept the gun aimed at Asahi. Taro's eyes narrowed.

_No, no, I shouldn't have asked that. I've made him angry. He's going to shoot someone. I can't let this happen! _His thoughts rushed through his head at an insane speed.

"Whatever," Taro muttered, moving the gun away but keeping it loosely in his hand, a subtle warning of what he could do at any moment.

Takeda gave him one last look before speed-walking back over to everyone. He was surprised that the moment he was close enough, Hinata leapt at him, wrapping him in a hug.

"Uh, Hinata," he said hesitantly and waited as the orange haired first year pulled away.

"Sorry," he sniffed. "I was just so worried, that's all." He gave Takeda a small smile before melting back into the group of volleyball players.

"Thank you," Nishinoya said sullenly from Asahi's side. "You did good, Teacher."

"Ah, thank you." Takeda gave the tiny libero a smile. "How about you guys get back to volleyball?"

"Maybe not now," Daichi looked around at everyone. "I think we'll just…sit."

Kageyama opened his mouth - probably to protest - but a sharp look from the captain stopped him from saying anything. He ended up grumpily sitting down with everyone else. Even Takeda sat down, adopting the old position of legs crossed, hands in lap like primary school students were always made to do.

"How long do you think we'll be here?" Yamaguchi began as Takeda looked around and realised that they were sitting in a circle, also like little kids.

_Guess it's the best way to sit, _he thought, annoyed at himself for finding it slightly funny.

"Dunno," Tanaka growled, tracing the ground in front of him with his index finger. "This sucks."

"Shhh," Takeda warned. "We don't want to get on their bad side."

"I think we already are," Asahi said glumly.

"Did anyone see someone from their class before volleyball practice?" Suga asked, lowering his voice.

"No," Tsukishima said flatly. Yamaguchi nodded beside him.

"Nope." Hinata looked crestfallen.

"I didn't either," Kageyama chipped in.

"Asahi, Ryuu and I walked together and we certainly didn't," Noya added.

"Yeah, neither did Daichi and I." Suga groaned.

"I'm sorry that you all had to go through what happened before." Takeda felt the need to apologise despite knowing in the back of his head that the team wouldn't care.

"It was scary," Hinata agreed, breaking off when Kageyama elbowed him. "Ow, what was that for?"

"Shut it, dumbass," Kageyama hissed. Takeda had to smile at this. So some things were still the same. That was nice, in a way.

"It's okay." Daichi spoke, his voice demanding respect even now, even after everything that had happened. "We were more worried about you to be honest."

"Vice versa," Takeda said weakly, hating how this was happening to kids at such a young age. People often talked about high school as the turning point of a kid's life. They would grow up and make decisions for the future. But in the end of it all, they were just kids who were often yet to see the darker parts of the world.

Takeda wanted to protect people like that, keep them happy for just that bit longer. He couldn't do that now. These kids, the youngest at fifteen and the oldest at seventeen, were on the other end of a gun. And he couldn't protect them.

"So, is this normal for you guys or what?" Kuroo said, his tone light. To Takeda, it seemed like the Nekoma captain was trying to lighten the mood. Some people didn't take it like that though.

"No, it is not normal!" Nishinoya spat. "And it's no laughing matter."

"Whoa, chill," Kuroo held up his hands.

"Kuroo," Kenma nudged him, glaring at Kuroo through catlike eyes.

"Okay, okay." Kuroo fell silent and through this silence came a noise, electronic and repetitive.

_Deedle~ee~_

_Deedle~ee~_

_Deedle~Dee~Dee~Deedee~Dee~!_

Taro had the gun in the air in an instant, aiming it at the circle of teens and Takeda.

"Who's is it?" he barked. Takeda winced. This was not good, not good at all.

"It's mine," Daichi said bravely. "It's ringing again." He motioned to the pile where his phone was alight and vibrating long with the annoying '_Deedle~ee~' _sounds it was making.

"Shut it off!" Taro ordered, aiming the gun at Daichi. "Shut them all off!" Takeda gulped.

_Keep your cool Daichi, _he pleaded silently, hoping the captain would be okay.

"As in put them on silent?" Daichi asked calmly though Takeda could see he was starting to sweat. The teacher wasn't surprised. What would have surprised him was if Daichi was acting completely normal.

"Turn them _off_," Komatsu said, his gun hanging in his hand by his side. He looked uncomfortable, as if not liking twelve pairs of eyes staring at him in a mix of fear, anger and two blank.

Daichi smiled reassuringly at the team before walking over to the pile of phones, the gun trained on his chest. He bent down and grabbed his phone, clicking to decline the call with barely a glance at who had been calling. Takeda couldn't help but hope Daichi had seen the caller however. It could be crucial in getting them discovered.

Daichi then went about switching all the phones off, occasionally asking their respective owners how to do so. It turned out that Takeda's phone had been on silent. Daichi also turned it off.

"Now back over there." Taro snapped and Daichi nodded, starting his walk back to the group. "Wait!" he cried before Daichi had even taken three steps.

_What now? _Takeda screamed inwardly. _What's going on now?_

"You didn't take any of the phones, did you, boy?" Taro questioned, the barrel of the gun aimed between Daichi's eyes. Takeda saw the third year swallow nervously.

"No," was all he said, however.

"Are you sure?" Taro hissed. "If you're lying, I won't hesitate to shoot!"

"Taro," Komatsu said warningly and Takeda couldn't help the gratitude that rushed through him. Hopefully Taro's friend could defuse the situation. "He didn't. We would have seen him."

"Do you want to go back to jail?" Taro spat at Komatsu who bit his lip in reply.

"Dad," Suga pleaded from the circle. "He didn't take any phones. Please, leave him alone."

Taro snorted, but he lowered the gun. "Get back there and by God, you better not be lying or I won't hesitate to follow through with my threat."

Takeda wanted to be sick. And if this was how he felt, he couldn't imagine how the team did. Even stoic, 'I don't care' Tsukishima looked pale and sweaty, sticking close to Yamaguchi and refusing to look over at the guns.

_Not good, not good, _Takeda repeated over and over again. They were completely cut off now.

"Takeda." Nishinoya slid over to the teacher, glancing over at the men before leaning in to whisper discreetly in his ear. "We still have Hinata's phone. He broke mine."

"What?" Takeda hissed. "Now is not the time to be brave Nishinoya. This is real."

"I know," Nishinoya snapped albeit quietly. "But how else are we going to get out of here? We're not going to let them take Suga, just like you said."

"I suppose so…" Takeda trailed off. "Daichi," he turned to the captain who was settling back down next to Suga, looking shaky. "Who was calling you?"

"Ennoshita," Daichi answered. "Probably explaining why he wasn't at practice, or wondering where we are."

"Do you think he'll come to check the gym since you hung up on him twice?" Hinata whispered excitedly.

"I hope not," Takeda sighed. "Or he'll be in the same boat as us."

"Or he could run away and tell the teachers," Kageyama offered.

"They'd shoot at him," Kuroo said seriously, sliding into the conversation. "Not a risk we want to take."

Kenma meanwhile, was scanning the gym, taking in the catwalk and the windows. Takeda frowned. He knew the setter was a near genius, his game sense was incredible. So what was he working out now?

"The windows…" he began, slowly as if unsure that he'd be listened to. "What can you see from them?"

"The yard, mostly." Suga shrugged. "Sorry Kenma, there's really no chance of anyone walking past and seeing us in here."

Takeda looked around. The curtains on the windows around the catwalk were closed and all the ground-level windows were tinted and impossible to see through in the day unless someone had their face right next to them. The last window was the huge one, high up on the wall at the back of the gym. There was a very low chance anyone would spot them through the windows anytime soon.

"Worth a shot," Kenma muttered and Kuroo ruffled his hair affectionately. Takeda smiled at the two though at the same time, he felt sad. Because they had no reason to be here. Wrong place at the wrong time.

"I wonder how all my friends in class are," Hinata said sulkily, drawing his knees up to his chest.

"Be glad they're not here." Kageyama sniffed. Hinata sighed, nodding in agreement.

_I wish none of you were here, _Takeda thought sadly.

"Volleyball?" Kageyama asked hopefully. The conversation had died down leaving them with nothing really to do but play the sport.

"Fine," Daichi agreed, standing back up. "But be careful. We don't want to make them even more angry."

"Komatsu seems okay," Takeda ventured. "I don't think he wants to hurt us."

"Should have thought about that before he showed up with a gun," Nishinoya snarled. "Because I don't know about you, but I don't think pointing that thing at a bunch of high schoolers sounds like the action of someone who doesn't want to hurt anyone."

"Sorry, Nishinoya," Takeda gave a slight smile. "I'm just saying that if Taro gets really worked up, I'm sure Komatsu will at least try to stop him from shooting."

"Maybe…" Nishinoya looked away. "Let's just practice."

The team (bar Kenma and Hinata) got up, moving slowly and stiffly to gather the balls up and sort into teams for a mock match.

"Oi, dumbass Hinata!" Kageyama yelled, earning himself an angry glare from Taro. Takeda groaned inwardly. Someone - Daichi probably - needed to talk to Kageyama about how he was acting. Now was just not the time.

"What?" Hinata shot back, just as grumpily.

"Come play," Kageyama said, his voice softening just again. "Please?"

"You too, Kenma." With Kuroo, it was more of a demand. Takeda had to smile. They really were a comical pair. If it wasn't for the guns aimed in their general direction, he might have laughed out loud. The usual sense of norm had been destroyed by the entry of the two men and Takeda was determined to return it to the way it was.

With a sigh, Kenma clambered to his feet, gesturing for Hinata to follow him. They split up, Kenma moving to stand by Kuroo and Hinata wandering over to Kageyama. Takeda noticed that the usual bounce in his step was absent. At least he'd have the game to take his mind off of Taro and Komatsu. And it had to be a good sign, right? If Hinata was up for volleyball, it meant he was at least a little less scared than he'd previously been.

The teens finished splitting up. Daichi was captain of one team, Kuroo the captain of the other. Daichi chose Suga first and Kuroo followed suit with choosing Kenma. Eventually, Daichi had Suga, Kageyama, Hinata, Tanaka and Yamaguchi and Kuroo had Kenma, Nishinoya, Tsukishima and Asahi. Tsukishima did not look pleased at this, frowning at Kuroo's attempts to provoke him.

Takeda watched them almost absently, his eyes flickering between the game and the two men by the door. Komatsu was watching the game with interest whilst Taro was frowning, choosing to ignore the game and his son in favour of looking outside.

_He's probably watching out for anyone passing by, _Takeda thought with a groan, hoping against hope that no one would. He couldn't bear it if someone innocent was hurt, or worse, killed.

He would not let it get to that. He would protect them at any cost.

"Kageyama, to me!" Hinata yelled enthusiastically. The thrill of the match had obviously distracted the orange haired middle blocker from his nerves. That was nice. Takeda had been afraid that he was going to throw up or faint, something he couldn't deal with right now, despite how inconsiderate that seemed.

"Ouch, watch it dumbass!" Kageyama yelled as Hinata collided with him. Takeda couldn't help but sigh.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

The game eventually stopped because Taro yelled at them all, 'shut the hell up or so help me, I will shoot'. The gym had fallen into a subdued silence. Hinata was back to shaking, looking awfully clammy. Takeda knew the feeling. When Taro had yelled at them, the now familiar flash of fear had coursed its way through him.

_Tap._

Takeda looked around, looking over at Asahi who had rapped his knuckles against the gym floor.

_Tap, tap._

"Azumane," Takeda warned. "Sorry, but you might want to stop that."

"Right," the third year gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

Silence fell again. Takeda took his glasses off to wipe them on his shirt.

"What are we going to do?" Nishinoya broke the silence this time. "I mean this is really boring. Are we just going to sit here for the whole day?"

"What do you suggest, play a game or something?" Daichi snapped, his voice harsh. "This isn't the time."

"No," Suga broke in, resting a hand on Daichi's shoulder. "It's a good idea Daichi." Daichi's gaze softened.

"Okay," he relented.

"Chinese whispers," Nishinoya burst in.

"Is that okay with everyone?" Suga asked, drumming his fingers against the floor lightly.

There was a chorus of agreements from nearly everyone. Takeda smiled, content to sit on the outside of the circle and watch. He was also keeping a careful eye on the door, making sure that if someone did walk past, he could hopefully distract Taro.

"I wanna think of the thing!" Hinata waved his hand.

"Dumbass, don't be so pushy!" Kageyama ordered.

"I'll go," Kuroo suggested.

"No," Kenma said flatly. "Shoyo can go."

"Woop!" Hinata cheered before stopping to think over what he was going to whisper in Tanaka's ear. Takeda looked at Kageyama just next to Hinata. The grumpy first year obviously didn't want Hinata to whisper into his ear.

After at least a minute and no sign of anyone walking past the hall, Hinata leant over to whisper whatever it was he had come up with. Tanaka grinned and leant over to Nishinoya. This continued reasonably well despite a few giggles from Yamaguchi and Tsukishima hitting Kuroo for trying to poke his ear.

Finally Kenma whispered the message to Kageyama, looking slightly nervous as he did so. Takeda remembered the training match where Kageyama had followed (or rather stalked) the Nekoma setter around - much to said setter's uncomfortableness. Kageyama immediately spun to stare in confusion at Hinata who shrugged.

"It's probably changed," Hinata protested. Takeda had to admit that he was slightly curious as to what had been originally said and what it had been changed to. He glanced back over at the door to see Komatsu rooting through Taro's backpack and Taro fiddling with his gun. They were obviously both just as bored as the team had been before.

"Say it, Kageyama," Suga prompted.

"'Molly coddles is done'…" Kageyama said slowly.

The look on Hinata's face was priceless. He looked so offended. Takeda smiled slightly, interested in what the original phrase was but pretty sure he could guess what it was.

"It was 'volleyball is fun'," Hinata said sulkily, folding his arms and pouting. "Who changed it?"

"I heard 'Colly hall mum'," Nishinoya protested.

"That's the way the game works." Asahi said shyly. "People don't change it on purpose."

"Tanaka did it once," Nishinoya said accusingly. "He made people think I had said 'I have the biggest man crush on Asahi.' Not funny."

"Do you?" Kuroo smirked. Nishinoya narrowed his eyebrows at him but the Nekoma captain just laughed. Kenma hit him.

Takeda was glad to see the team distracted from what was really going on. That way he could focus on trying (and the key word was trying here) to find a way out of the situation.

He observed another hilarious round of Chinese Whispers where Tsukishima was forced to say 'Fluffy ducks are my weakness.' Surprisingly, this one hadn't changed at all. Takeda suspected foul play, especially when he saw Tanaka and Nishinoya's grins.

Unexpectedly, Takeda realised that Komatsu was listening in. He worked this out when the man laughed quietly (though with a sort of gloomy face) at Kenma having to say 'tootles to Panda Cheese.' This was originally 'rooting for Nekoma to win.' Someone had seriously bungled that one.

The game slowly began to die down with first Kenma, then Tsukishima and then Asahi sitting out. Nishinoya, Tanaka and Kuroo had too much fun messing with those three.

The game finally stopped when Kuroo decided it would be more fun to mess with Tsukishima. Takeda was amused to see that the middle blocker went and hid behind Yamaguchi. Very different to what usually happened - Yamaguchi behind Tsukishima.

"I'm hungry," Hinata whined at one point. Suga produced a few muesli bars to split between them. He offered part to Takeda but the teacher declined. They barely had any food to share and he didn't want to take any.

The team began to split off into little groups. The third years of Karasuno gathered together, whispering and muttering. Hinata sat with Kageyama, making the odd comment now and again. Nishinoya and Tanaka sat with Kuroo, forming a sort of friendship that was sure to cause trouble in later years. Kenma sat by himself, closer to Tsukishima and Yamaguchi who were silently sitting with each other.

Takeda glanced over to Taro and Komatsu. Taro was yawning, showing of slightly yellowing teeth and Komatsu was tapping away at his phone. They seemed more relaxed then before. This was the perfect time to try and have a civilised (well as civilised as they could get) conversation with the two.

He approached, regretting that he didn't tell the team what he was doing but feeling it was too awkward to turn back now. Taro looked up, his eyes narrowing as he reached for his gun.

"What are you doing?" he asked angrily. "Get back with the others."

"Taro," Komatsu sighed, looking like he was tired of the man's snappy behaviour.

"I just wanted to ask you some questions. Is that okay?" Takeda tried for a smile, forcing one onto his face because he couldn't but feel disgusted with the two, mostly Taro.

"Hmmph," Taro made a noise that suggested he did not agree but Komatsu just shrugged.

"You said something about jail before; were you just released?" Takeda asked, shuffling slightly on the spot. He wondered if he had started with the wrong question but it was too late now.

"Yeah," was all Komatsu said. "About two weeks ago."

"Can… Can I ask why you were in there?" Takeda said hopefully. If he knew their crime, he could work out how far they were willing to go. Hopefully it was just for theft or something.

"Abuse of power," Taro said before Komatsu - who had opened his mouth - could say anything. "Bloody stupid reason."

"We were police officers," Komatsu explained.

"Ah, right," Takeda wasn't really sure whether to smile or frown so he settled for just nodding. Well, at least abuse of power didn't really mean anything super serious like murder…right?

"So Koushi is your son?" Takeda moved on.

"Yup." Taro popped the 'p' in a strangely childish way, his tone very sarcastic. "How'd you figure that one out?" Takeda inwardly bristled but on the outside, he just forced a polite smile.

"I'm just curious, why do you want to take him?"

"I'm not _taking _him," Taro growled. "He's my son. You don't take what you already own."

"Sorry." Takeda tried to back up, figuratively. "I just...Why do you want him to go with you?"

"A boy belongs with his father. His mother is stupid," Taro spat. "Now piss off will ya?"

Takeda turned but then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure moving.

_Oh no! Oh no! Someone's coming. I have to distract them! _His body couldn't keep up with his thoughts though, and he ended up just staring blankly at the door. He could only hope that the poor person would change direction or not bother to look into the gym. Hopefully they weren't someone looking for the team or Ennoshita coming in to question Daichi about hanging up on him.

_Turn around, _he willed them mentally.

"What are you still doing here?" Taro growled. "Get back over there with the rest of them." Takeda turned to move again but then froze as a familiar voice called out.

"Captain, are you in here?"

_.No! No, no, no! Ennoshita, no! Dammit, don't! _His mind was racing. The figure he'd spotted, the one he'd hoped wasn't Ennoshita was in fact the second year after all.

"Captain…" Ennoshita trailed off when he came face to face with Taro, the gun at his side as the man stared at him in shock. He was slow to react, started by what was going on.

Ennoshita's eyes slid over everyone, from the wide eyed Takeda to the startled Daichi to the panicking Suga. Then they stopped on the gun that Taro was slowly raising, aiming it at Ennoshita's chest.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow-mo. What could he do? How could he help? If Takeda didn't do anything, Ennoshita would be joining them. Then the situation would really be hopeless.

"Run!" he yelled to the shocked Ennoshita, taking a step forward. "Get out of here now!" He didn't tell Ennoshita to call for help. He was hoping the second year would be smart enough to work it out for himself. The teacher didn't want to add more fuel to the fire.

"What?" Ennoshita gasped, obviously too shocked to move.

"Move!" Takeda ordered. Taro's spun the gun round to him, his finger tightening on the trigger. Takeda however, didn't feel any fear. He just felt relief that Ennoshita was able to escape.

His vision seemed to be getting blurry, as though he hadn't cleaned his glasses in a long time. It seemed like Ennoshita was taking forever to run, slowly moving on his feet.

_Keep the gun pointed on me, _he silently begged. _Don't focus on the boy running away. Keep your eyes on me._

Taro spun and shot at the door, hitting the frame, the broken shards ricocheting away. There was a scream from behind him.

"_NO!"_ Takeda cried, starting to move. What was he going to do though? Grab the gun? He'd just find another one trained on him. Beg and plead? Possibly. Punch Taro? Tempting as that was, probably not.

"Teacher!" Hinata yelled desperately from behind him. "Don't!"

"Stop!" Takeda cried, his hand moving to grab Taro's arm before he could stop himself. He tugged at the arm, pulling the gun away from the door.

"Get off me!" Taro yelled, pushing Takeda off him and to the ground. The teacher sat there for the briefest of moments, stunned and scared. But he was also determined. He was back on his feet in an instant.

"Stay back," he ordered the team. "Do not move from that side of the gym. And stay down!"

He knew there'd be protests but he blocked them out. Not now. He needed to focus.

"I'll shoot you!" Taro threatened, raising the gun. "Do not interfere!"

"No!" screamed Suga. "Dad please, don't do it!"

Taro hesitated for the briefest of moments, his eyes flickering to his son and that was when Komatsu stepped in. In one swift movement, he pushed Taro aside and moved behind Takeda.

"What?" was all Takeda managed to say, shocked at how quick the man was able to move. Fear ran through him, cold and harsh. He suddenly stopped shaking.

Then Komatsu raised his gun and brought it down.

"Stop!"

"_TEACHER!_"

He felt it connect with the side of his head, hard, and everything slipped away into inky black.

_The team…_ His last thought before he lost all consciousness.

* * *

**Zakuro here! So that's chapter two, Take-chan's chapter! So I guess you can see what's happening now - each chapter is written from the perspective of a new character, switching between myself and Toph. (That should make the style transitions smoother.)**

**Thank you everyone for your reviews! We can't say how thankful we are for everyone that followed. X3**

**'Til next time!**


	3. Tobio Kageyama

**Hello again, everyone! It's so great that there are so many people following! We're very happy over here. X3**

**This is my chapter again, so I hope I've done well!**

**-Zakuro**

* * *

**CHAPTER 3: TOBIO KAGEYAMA**

* * *

_Things like this don't happen in Karasuno._

That was the theoretical rule.

_Things like this don't happen to me._

That was the theoretical law.

And together, these theories had cemented the students' beliefs that everything would be okay, that it would all work itself out whilst they stood back and let the adults handle it.

Though they denied it…though they tried to play mature by acting with some dark, curious sense of bravado…though they pretended they were helping by hiding a phone, each one of them had fostered that little hope that the grown-ups would sort it out like normal.

The butt of a gun had shattered that desperate, childish hope and left the teenagers alone with two armed men.

And that's just what they were.

Teenagers. Old enough to act for themselves, but not quite fully independent.

Some had already doubted the hope that everything would work out when the adults talked, preparing for the worst case scenario.

Daichi, Tanaka and Kuroo had all jumped up and started forward at the same time, but were now frozen in place like they had initiated some twisted game of musical statues.

Some had considered leaving it, but had been leaning against it for support and now found themselves tumbling.

Suga, Asahi and Nishinoya all wore varying degrees of shock, the setter with his hands pressed to his mouth, the ace holding his fists before his chest in a flimsy shield and the libero standing slack like a puppet with cut strings.

For some it was a source of comfort, like a fire that had suddenly gone out and left them to freeze.

Tsukishima, Yamaguchi and Kenma were crouched down in an attempt to get out of the line of fire, and were now staring blankly at the scene that had just transpired. Kenma had his hands over his ears and Tsukishima's eyes were wide with terror behind his glasses. Yamaguchi had toppled backwards.

For the one of them closest to a child, that little hope was the last thing that had kept him from cracking, and now that it was gone… There was nothing left to believe.

Hinata had slid down onto his knees, wracked with tremors and looking like he wasn't even breathing. His face had lost any hint of colour and his eyes were glazed with a blank form of panic.

And yet there was one more, who had been so objective in his thinking that he hadn't even chosen where to stand on this spectrum. A part of him knew he'd been trusting Takeda the whole time, but another part of him – the part that forever drove him towards improvement – had constantly reminded him of the possibility that he wouldn't get anywhere if he relied on others.

So now that one part of him was floundering and another had seen this as an inevitability, he didn't know how to react but to stare.

Trying to think.

Trying to decipher.

Trying to adjust.

And wishing there was a clear way out of this mess.

But there wasn't and all Kageyama could do was stare at the crumpled body of the teacher sprawled at Komatsu's feet, not even knowing if he was still alive or if the impact had taken him out for good.

Stare was all anyone could do, since no-one had seen it coming. No amount of prodigal volleyball talent could have prevented this, no uncanny game sense nor keen analytical skill.

Their precious gym had began to crumble, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

The silence seemed to draw on for an age, and if anyone had later asked the volleyball players how long they had stood in silence, they each would have had a different reply. But none of them would have said anything less than a few minutes.

And after than snapshot of eternity, time snapped back up like a taut rubber band let loose and Komatsu whipped around and sprinted out the gym door. Rapid footfalls outside the gym indicated Ennoshita tearing off around the side and Komatsu following.

There was a _crack _of a bullet outside that sent spears of dread into the hearts of all the teens.

"Ennoshita…" Daichi said in a hushed tone.

Taro had charged to the door and was leaning out to look for his partner, his face set in a furious snarl. "Komatsu! You idiot! Don't let him get away!"

At least that meant he was still alive.

In the same few moments, Kageyama's mind started ticking again. Someone needed to see to Takeda. He looked at the teacher on the ground, frowning.

He looked to the door. Ennoshita. If there was any way to find out if he got to the teachers, they needed to find it.

And perhaps…with Komatsu and the second gun out of the picture, now would be the opportune time to jump Taro.

Oh, and there was Hinata. He needed a slap or something.

Kageyama started forward, towards Takeda.

"Kageyama…!" It was Suga, grabbing his sleeve. His eyes were pleading, begging his teammate not to do something reckless.

"You want to just leave Mr Takeda over there?" questioned the first year.

Suga frowned, tightening his grip. "Just…don't go over by yourself. I'll come too."

Perhaps it would have been safer to send only one person, but Kageyama was not backing away now and Suga was not letting him go any closer to the gun by himself. So it was both setters or nothing.

Suga let go of Kageyama's shoulder and they walked forward slowly.

"Suga! Kageyama!" Daichi called.

"It's okay, Daichi," said Suga, shooting a quick smile. "He won't shoot at me."

"We don't know that," the captain replied tensely with a nod of agreement from Kuroo.

"It's risky," the Nekoma player said. "Though I'm not keen on leaving the teacher over there without giving him a once-over. Head hits are dangerous, especially when someone gets knocked out."

"I know," said Suga. "That's why we're going to get him."

Asahi shuffled forwards, his eyes locked on Taro. "Be careful."

His friend nodded. "Of course."

"Come on," urged Kageyama. "Before he realises we're still here."

With that, the two stepped out of the safe zone at the side of the court and towards where Takeda was lying.

Kageyama didn't look back, but Suga did. "Hinata hasn't moved," he said. "I hope he'll be alright."

"We'll worry about the airhead later," replied Kageyama. To tell the truth, he was concerned about his short teammate, but Takeda's condition took precedence. "Teacher's situation is what we need to focus on now."

"Right."

_It can't be long until Taro realises what we're doing, _Kageyama thought, his pulse speeding up at the thought.

They had just reached Takeda when Taro whipped around, gun drawn, and shouted, "You two! What do you punks think you're doing?!"

"Uph!" Kageyama stumbled as Suga grabbed his arm roughly and pulled him behind his back. "Suga!"

"We're helping Mr Takeda," replied the grey-haired setter, staring down his father as if daring him to try and stop him. Kageyama knew that the team had their coach, Ukai, their advisor, Takeda, and their captain, Daichi, but Suga was there too, and he had a different kind of authority.

"Get back there." There was a click as Taro cocked his gun. "I'll count to three, Koushi. One."

"Suga…" Daichi's uncertain voice came from the back of the gym.

"Two."

The third year setter didn't stand down. On the contrary, he pushed Kageyama down next to Takeda and stretched out his arms to cover them.

"Koushi, I'm warning you," Taro's face was growing red with irritation. "I will shoot."

"Suga! Forget it! Just get back over here!" It was Nishinoya this time.

"You can't just turn up out of nowhere and expect me to do everything you say!" Suga shouted. "If you really want me to listen, then you should have been there when I was younger like you had some intention of actually being a father!"

Kageyama winced. Takeda was down for the count, the situation was getting rough and Komatsu had gone chasing after Ennoshita. If there was any time to _not _provoke Taro, it was now.

But somehow, it seemed to have just the right effect on Taro. He froze, like Suga had just recited a fatal verse.

Suga swallowed nervously and Kageyama briefly shifted his attention to Takeda. The unconscious teacher was out like a light, his glasses askew and his mouth just slightly open. The first year could see the man's chest rising and falling, confirming that he had only been knocked out and not…something worse.

But this kind of hit could still be deadly. It was still all too possible that the force to Takeda's head had caused damage couldn't be scoped without the knowledge of a professional.

Taro had paused for the moment, but he seemed to be regaining his sense of awareness. He narrowed his eyes as rage flooded back onto his features and Kageyama felt his stomach twist into a painful knot. _I don't like the look of—_

_CRACK!_

There was a screech from one of the teens by the net.

Kageyama's chest tightened to the point where it hurt to breathe. The sound had startled his hands up around his head and now they shook like crazy as a burst of adrenaline pumped through his blood.

Right next to where his hand had been, a chunk of wood had been blasted from the gym floor.

He could thank his volleyball-honed reflexes for that, he would later reflect.

"Three," growled Taro, lowering the gun. "You lot will do as I say. Do you understand? I'm really not joking when I tell you I'll shoot."

A low, quiet groaning noise started up in the back of the gym. It took Kageyama a few moments to work out that it was coming from Hinata. His mind was still trying to recover from the bullet that had very nearly taken off his fingers.

He widened his eyes at the ginger teen, who was making some strange noise like a mix between a whimper and a moan. He had his fingers tangled in his shock of orange hair, wide eyed and pale.

_Not now, Hinata! _Kageyama thought to himself, and immediately felt a little bad about it. Hinata had put a lot of faith into Takeda, and having bullets flying around certainly wasn't helping his morale at all.

It wasn't Hinata that the bullet had even been fired at. _It's me who would have been hit, dumbass. So why are you the one freaking out? Though…_

He swallowed hard, clenching one hand in the other and pressing them to his chest. He felt his pulse fluttering wildly as he fought to stop his body from trembling.

_I can't say I'm not terrified either._

It was then that Komatsu burst back into the gym, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. "Damn brat got away!" he spat, running a hand through his hair.

Taro swore at this, several times. He paced back and forth and Kageyama wasn't sure whether now would be a good or horrible time to try and move Takeda away from the heat. He decided to play it safe, and Suga seemed to have chosen to do the same. There wasn't much time to rejoice in the fact that Ennoshita had escaped.

"What do we do now?" asked Komatsu, cracking his knuckles as he caught his breath. "The police will show up any time now, considering that kid'll spill the beans to the nearest moving object as soon as he sees it."

"_I-don't-know!" _ground out Taro, gripping the gun way too tight for Kageyama's liking.

The two went into a heated discussion and Hinata continued making his weird noise back with the others.

Suga switched his attention to Takeda, crouching down and asking, "What do you think? Is there anything we can do?"

Kageyama raised a hand to his chin in thought and frowned. "Th-there's a…" He cleared his throat and tried again. "…a first aid kit under one of the benches, right? Does it have an instant chill pack in it?"

"Of course," replied Suga. "With the amount of times Hinata and Nishinoya go ricocheting off the floor and walls, there's probably twenty of them in there."

"Good. We can use that to help, if there happens to be any swelling. Though, we'd need to better inspect the actual point of contact," said Kageyama. His voice was beginning to steady out. "That's about all I know how to do. We need a doctor or something to be able to tell if there's any serious damage."

Suga nodded his agreement and pulled a face. "This situation just gets worse and worse, doesn't it?"

The first year sneered in reply to that, looking at the floor. "Yeah."

"I…" Suga shrugged awkwardly. "I'm sorry you had to get caught up in this. Everyone else too."

"Idiot," muttered Kageyama. "It's not your fault your dad is a raving dumbass with some extreme anger issues."

"I suppose not, but I still feel at least a little at blame for it," confessed Suga. "I mean, if I just left with him now—"

Kageyama gave him a look that was meant to express his displeasure with that idea, but judging from the look he got in return from Suga it probably came across scarier than he'd intended.

"Okay, okay!" Suga raised his palms. "I'll try to avoid that. But we really need to get Mr Takeda over there. Perhaps the others will know something more we can do."

Kageyama nodded his agreement. "Yeah. But…"

Both of them frowned at the stressing gunmen, wondering whether they should risk it.

Eventually, Suga stood and cleared his throat. He caught Komatsu's attention and nodded towards Takeda. "Can we take our teacher back there?"

Komatsu looked at him for a while, trying to decide. He eventually flicked his wrist and turned back to Taro, calling, "Do whatever."

"And shut that damn kid up!" Suga's father ordered, jabbing his gun in Hinata's direction.

Pointing the gun in that direction probably wasn't the best idea, given the ginger's current state. He made a loud yelping noise and started hiccupping.

Now, Kageyama knew his teammate wasn't good with nerves, but this was getting ridiculous. They needed to calm him down before his fear of getting shot put holes in everyone's foreheads.

Working with Suga, he managed to get one of Takeda's arms over his shoulder and together they slowly transported the teacher towards their teammates. _And the Nekoma pair, _Kageyama reminded himself.

As they drew closer, they saw the group had slowly shifted together to form a tighter circle with Hinata in the heart. They were all trying to calm him down, but the rush of people surrounding him wasn't really helping.

"Hey, Hinata," said Kuroo, waving his hands and trying to smile but ending up at a slightly larger but just as creepy smirk. "Don't get so worked up. I'm sure you're so small that if they shot at you, they'd miss. Don't be scared of them."

"_You're_ scaring him," mumbled Kenma, frowning and pulling his captain back by his shirt. He took Hinata's hand awkwardly and said in one breath, "Just imagine…this is Ultimate Bisyria 3 and you have unlimited lives and maxed out defence stats."

"Somehow I don't think that was any better, Kenma."

Nishinoya butted in, grabbing Hinata's shoulders and announcing, "There's no need to be afraid! I, Yuu Nishinoya, am your very cool upperclassman and I'll stop anything bad from happening."

Tanaka squished up beside him and flashed a thumbs up. "Don't forget upperclassman Ryuunosuke Tanaka!"

The little first year whimpered and skittered back a little, almost bumping into Yamaguchi.

"I think _you two_ need to calm down," muttered Daichi as he conked the second-years' heads together and pulled them back. "Asahi, would you say something to him?"

"Like what?" asked Asahi, shooting the captain a confused look.

"I don't know," he answered, sounding hassled. "Sing a lullaby or something?!"

"A lullaby?" Asahi switched his baffled look from Daichi to Hinata and offered a quivering smile. "Uh, there, there? Bless you… No, that isn't right…"

Hinata squeezed his eyes shut and curled into a ball, leaving Asahi to mope in the concern that he looked too scary to be of any use.

When Suga and Kageyama got close enough, they gently laid Takeda down on the ground and pushed the first year's jacket under his head.

"Suga! Kageyama!" called Daichi gratefully. "Can you help? I'm afraid we're losing Hinata…"

"Well, give him some space to start off with," answered Suga, wiping his forehead. "Spread out a little more."

The group did as they were told and Suga crouched in front of the balled-up teen.

"Shoyo," he said softly. "Shoyo, you're not a volleyball. Let us see your face."

Tentatively, a pair of brown eyes peeked up at him from behind his arms.

"That's better!" Suga beamed. "Now, what's wrong? You always smile so happily for us, why won't you do that again, hm? It doesn't suit you to be sad."

Hinata sniffled, his eyes flooding. "I-I-I don't know! It was scary! I thought we were gonna die! And I thought I'd never see you again and then I thought I wouldn't see my mum again and I was really hungry before – hic – but then I wasn't, and I thought I was gonna die before ever tasting the chocolate cereal that I always wanted to but never did because I thought it seemed really unhealthy but I always regret not getting it after we came back from the groceries because the wheat kind tastes so bad but I keep eating it anyway!"

And he kept talking like that, a high-speed babble that skipped from one topic to the next with no purpose whatsoever. The group sighed a little at this, but at least it was better than an unnervingly silent Hinata.

"...and Kenma, I'm sorry that I don't know what Ultimate Beestinger 3 is but I'm sure it's really great and I want to play it with you someday, also Noya and Tanaka, you're such super-cool upperclassmen and thank you for always being so nice to me! Asahi, you're an awesome ace and your hair is really great! I'm sorry that I thought you were scary just then but I panicked – hic – and now I don't know what I'm saying and…and… Kageyama's face is more scary!"

"Tch!" Kageyama glowered upon hearing this and bent down so his face was level with Hinata, who gulped.

"Dumbass," he said, with an accompanying bop on the head.

Hinata blinked away his tears and scowled. "You're mean."

"And you're acting like a like a little kid!" grumbled Kageyama. "Now sharpen up! If you keep getting scared all the time, there's no way you'll make it on the court!"

"Of course I will! I'll be super cool like everyone else! Just…"

"Do you want to be an ace?!"

"I do!"

"Then man up!"

"I will! And don't tell me what to do, Scary Face Kageyama!"

"I'll tell you whatever I want!"

Daichi sighed. "Of course that works, of all things. But you two need to quieten down!"

The first years reluctantly fell into a grumbling sort of silence.

"So…" Tsukishima spoke up for the first time in a while. He was sitting closest to the unconscious teacher. "How is Mr Takeda?"

"He's just as stubborn as ever, I guess you could say," replied Suga. "He's only been knocked out, but that is a bad enough thing in itself."

"Do you lot keep a first aid kit?" asked Kuroo, leaning over.

Kenma pointed. "There's one over there," he said as Kuroo followed his gaze.

"I'll go get it," said Nishinoya, standing up and stretching. The whole 'sitting still' thing seemed to be irritating him. "Just watch, I'll be cool. Like a ninja."

That said, he started off across the gym floor in a quick tiptoe and grabbed the box before prancing back in some strange, exaggerated fashion. He was humming the theme to 'Mission Impossible'.

"First aid kit!" he yelped as Taro shot him a questioning glare.

As soon as the man turned around again, he spun in a circle and landed right before the group to fall onto one knee. He presented the kit like it was a wedding ring and grinned.

"I appreciate you fetching the kit, but maybe a little less ballet next time," said Daichi, frowning. He took the box and opened it.

"Aw, don't repress Noya's inner ballerina, Captain," laughed Suga.

"_Ninja_ ballerina," added the second year matter-of-factly, nodding at Hinata as the first year broke into a wavering but sincere grin.

Daichi turned to Suga. "That brings me to another point, Sugawara." His voice was hard. "You can't keep using yourself as a human shield like that. We know Taro is less likely to shoot at you than us, but that's no excuse to keep throwing yourself in harm's way."

Suga looked at him for a fair few seconds before shrugging lightly and replying, "So, you'd rather they shoot Kageyama than me?"

That stopped the group for a moment.

Daichi frowned again, not lifting his gaze from Suga. "That's not what I meant. What I mean is—"

"I know what you mean, Daichi, but the simple fact is that I won't listen anyway." Suga took the first aid kit from the captain and rifled through it. The entire group was staring at him now. "My chances of not being shot at are higher than anyone else's, even if it's only by the slightest little margin. So I'm going to put myself out there over anyone else, no matter what."

"Suga…" Asahi was staring at him.

Daichi spoke up again. "Whilst that logic may be true, I'm still not happy to let you take centre stage every time that man gets trigger happy. Situation regardless, I'm the captain of this team and I won't stand to see any one of you repeatedly facing the barrel of a gun."

Kuroo broke in again. "I'm also a captain and I agree with everything he just said about not letting only one of the _numerous _present members of my team get held at gunpoint."

Kenma rolled his eyes in silence behind the messy-haired third year, though Kageyama thought he was the only one who had noticed.

"Tsukishima, can you find where Mr Takeda was hit?" asked Suga as he squeezed the instant cold pack to get it going.

"It… It was the back of his head, right?"

"Yeah."

The blond first year frowned, seemingly hesitant about touching Takeda.

"It was here."

Kageyama glanced away from Tsukishima to Hinata, who was calmly pointing to a spot on the side of his head, towards the back. "I saw it very clearly. Like…wha-pam."

"Thank you, Hinata," replied Suga as Noya started making quiet noises like 'fwi-pom' and 'shabang', resulting in a puzzled-looking Kenma.

"Can you see anything in that spot, Tsukishima?" asked Daichi as the tall first year investigated Takeda's hairline.

"Sort of," came the reply. "It's hard to see through his hair, but it does look a little swollen."

"Here." Suga handed him the cold pack and he gently tucked it half-under Takeda's head, covering the spot Hinata had indicated.

"That's that, I guess," said Tanaka after everyone was quiet for a moment. "What now?"

Pair by pair, their eyes slowly turned toward Taro and Komatsu, waiting to see what their captors would do next.

Neither of them seemed to notice the staring eyes, continuing to pace back and forth, argue with each other and swear. They obviously hadn't factored anything like this into their plans, and Kageyama wasn't the only one to realise it.

"Your old man isn't very good at thinking things through, is he?" said Tanaka, placing his chin in his palm to prop his head up.

"It would appear not," replied Suga, grimacing a little. "I guess I should be glad I'm my mother's son."

"I am, for one," put in Asahi, sighing tensely. "I don't suppose there's anything we can say to him to convince him to let us go?"

Suga shook his head. "If I knew it, I'd have said it long ago. But there isn't much hope for me to get through to him anyway. I haven't seen him since I was in elementary school, so to be completely honest, I'm surprised I even recognise him."

They sat soundlessly for a while, the only sound being Nishinoya tapping his feet restlessly and Yamaguchi stifling a sneeze.

"So we still have slim to no chance of busting out on our own." Kuroo put his hands behind his head and scanned everyone's faces. "What _shall_ we do now? Braid each other's hair?"

He got a few dry looks.

"We can't do that, Tanaka would get left out," replied Hinata seriously.

Kageyama shook his head. "Idiot."

"And your hair looks too short to braid, Kageyama."

"I don't want a braid! Dumbass!"

"Don't be grumpy! Just because your hair is so boring doesn't mean it looks bad. It just isn't as good as mine."

"You look like a starfish!"

Daichi stared the two into silence as their volume increased.

Kageyama folded his arms and looked down, trying to think of some way to take their minds off the situation that wasn't volleyball. Now that Komatsu was back in the room, their chances of getting shot at seemed lower.

Yes… The more Kageyama thought about it, the more Takeda's theory made sense. Komatsu was at point-blank range when the teacher had shouted at Ennoshita. He had every opportunity to put a bullet in his skull, and yet he'd settled for knocking him out.

Judging from how he'd taken out Takeda without killing him, he obviously had a great deal of control. And it should have been easy to shoot at Ennoshita from any point outside the gym, yet they only heard one gunshot. This implied that Komatsu would much rather have caught the teen alive rather than shoot him where he stood.

So…the armed man did have an ounce of goodness left in him after all. But, although merciful, Komatsu was still holding them inside the school gym at gunpoint, and that wasn't exactly making him a trusted ally. But at least he seemed able to talk Taro out of doing anything drastic.

Kageyama shuffled closer into the circle, pleased with this logic. He explained as much to Daichi, who nodded his agreement. "Those are some good points. And if I were to build on them, I'd say that the chances are Taro doesn't want any of us dead either. He's only just gotten out of jail, and murder would get him put back in for a lot longer. Suga told me he's an ex-cop, so he knows how far to go."

"He's already gone pretty far," Tsukishima put in, adjusting his glasses.

"Yes, but have you noticed that each shot he's fired had been aimed at the hands? The spot the doorframe splintered was nowhere near head level. And Kageyama, it was the same with you."

The black haired setter gripped his targeted hand in the other and nodded, shuddering as he remembered the heart-stopping _crunch _of the wood next to him exploding.

"As long as we don't let him get too worked up – which isn't exactly an easy task – we should be relatively safe," finished Daichi. "We just need to keep our heads down and let them stress."

By this time, the whole group had tuned into the conversation. There really wasn't anything else to do.

"For how long?" asked Yamaguchi tentatively, looking towards the captain. "Will we be stuck here…forever?"

Suga shook his head. "Ennoshita should have told the teachers by now. The police will be here soon, and they should be able to sort everything out."

"Okay." The first year nodded, looking a little more confident.

Daichi shifted to a more comfortable position, saying, "I'm actually glad with how everyone is handling this now. It's a lot safer for us the calmer we are. Now, I know the situation isn't exactly comfortable, but you're doing a good job coping with it. We just need to keep down and be steady. I mean…there isn't much else we can do."

"_We can braid our hair_," came an excited whisper from the edge of the group.

Some leaned, some twisted and others just turned their heads to where Nishinoya was sitting, looking supremely pleased with himself. His tuft of yellow hair had been separated and twisted into several skinny braids that stuck out of his head like little bamboo plants.

Tanaka covered his mouth and started giggling, fuelling the gleeful sparkle in Noya's eye.

"You two, this is a very serious situation," scolded Suga, though the corners of his mouth were twitching up in a smirk.

Kageyama stared on in silence as Hinata grabbed his own tufty hair and wriggled forward, saying in a hushed voice, "Teach me! Teach me!"

It was too easy to forget about the guns when Taro and Komatsu were absorbed in their own discussions, and the setter found that disconcerting. They needed to remember, needed to be on edge. Because if it came down to it, that nervousness might just save all of their lives.

Daichi seemed to have realised this too, as although he gave a flicker of a smile, his eyes traced their way back to Taro and Komatsu every so often.

Some of them were finding the adrenaline of the situation way too empowering and sought constant distraction, and those were the ones who needed watched.

And then there were those like Kenma, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, who were constantly tense and fidgety. Kageyama could tell Nishinoya was trying to set them at ease – if even just a little – but too much messing around wasn't a good idea.

Yamaguchi sneezed again and Kenma mumbled something about people talking about him.

"Are we just gonna wait now?" asked Hinata, looking to Daichi.

Now that Takeda was down for the count, the title of authority figure had slipped onto his shoulders.

The captain nodded, tracking Taro as he stomped from around the front of the gym. "Or join in with those three."

Kageyama blinked and realised he was referring to Noya, Tanaka and Asahi. The second years had got a hold of Asahi's long hair and destroyed his bun in favour of an array of terribly done braids.

Hinata watched the ace struggling and said, "I'm sorry, Asahi. I can't help you but I'm sure you'll look great."

"I'll look like a criminal with dreadlocks," he muttered unhappily as Tanaka started on a new braid.

The pair's enthusiasm eventually died down, leaving Asahi to untangle his hair.

"That guy who came running in before is part of your team, right?" asked Kuroo as Tsukishima slapped his curious hand away from his hair.

"Yes," grumbled the blond, pulling off his glasses and giving them a quick swipe with his shirt. "His name is Ennoshita."

"I'll assume he was smart enough to tell someone that we're being held in your gym by two crazy gunmen?"

"He should have," replied Daichi, crossing his legs. "I just hope he didn't get hit."

"We'd have heard him shout," Suga pointed out. "He was just outside the gym when the only bullet was fired."

"Assuming that bullet _was _the only one," put in Kenma quietly. "Though I'd say it was, since he ran towards your school building. Firing inside would be too risky, especially if this man wants to avoid hitting people…"

"Fair point," said Daichi.

"We're doing an awful lot of assuming and not a lot of anything else," grumbled Kageyama. "At least we were getting practice in when they let us play."

"Maybe if we're lucky, they'll let us play again when things calm down," said Hinata. He smiled, looking a lot more confident than he had been before. "I know I was too scared to play back then, but that was 'cause I thought I might end up always thinking about this mess when I played, but really it was the opposite!"

"What are you trying to say?" questioned Kageyama with a grunt.

"Playing volleyball is so awesome," replied the ginger teen, smiling absently and propping up his head. "Playing with all of you makes me really happy, so I don't have to think about anything outside the game. Everyone is so cool. Even you, Kageyama. Mostly. But then you hit me and you ruin it."

"Dumbass!"

"Ow!"

"See?" Hinata grumbled as he rubbed his head. "You ruined it again. But still, you look really cool when you play. Your expression is kinda scary, but it's determined."

Kageyama looked at his teammate blankly.

"This is when you're meant to say thank you, Kageyama," prompted Hinata.

"Don't tell me you're saying that now because you think we aren't getting out of here," said the black-haired setter bluntly.

Hinata's eyes widened. "No! That's not what I was saying at all…"

"Yeah, don't be such a pessimist, Kageyama," laughed Tanaka sheepishly. His eyes were serious.

"I-I'm not…trying to…mean that…" muttered Kageyama, looking away suddenly. "I just…"

He flicked his head in a quick bow. "Sorry. That wasn't what I meant to say."

"It shouldn't be what anyone means to say," replied Daichi. "Because we're getting out of here. All of us. And if I have anything to say about it, we'll be back the next day to fix that hole in the floor, and then we'll be right back to practising."

"Right!" Suga backed him up with a smile, shooting a thumbs up. "That's our captain! Not even a rest day!"

"He's still not my captain," Kuroo pointed out. "Though that was a nice speech. Which means we'll also be practising, Kenma."

This statement was met with a disapproving stare. "Kuroo, no."

"Kuroo, yes."

And as soon as he'd finished speaking, there was a loud sound in the distance that had everyone perking up.

The wail of a police siren.

And Taro swore.

* * *

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	4. Tadashi Yamaguchi

**Yo! Toph Hitsugaya here again with Yamaguchi's chapter. Thankyou all so much for your comments on the last chapter! They mean a lot. And to all those who follow and favourite or do both or just lurk and read. You guys rock! **

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**CHAPTER 4: TADASHI YAMAGUCHI**

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It had been a normal Monday when he and Tsukki had walked to school. And a normal day of practising with as many fails as success at mastering the float serve. And it had certainly been normal when Hinata and Nishinoya had been bouncing off the walls, talking in their special language that no one else could understand.

The two men with the guns however, they weren't normal.

Yamaguchi knew he wasn't exactly a brave person. He'd started hiding behind Tsukishima almost as soon as they first met and was too afraid to even speak up most of the time unless the blond was at his side.

But right now, he was more than scared. He was long past the point of terrified. He'd settled into calm acceptance. They were probably all going to die here. His hands weren't even shaking anymore. Apart from the occasional nervous sneeze, you'd think he was perfectly composed. This was all on the outside however.

Deep down, Yamaguchi was so scared that he'd nearly wet himself when Taro had shot at Kageyama's hand. He'd dashed to hide behind Tsukki only to awkwardly collide with the tall blond when he took a step back. Definitely not a highlight of their time stuck in the gym.

Hinata had been in full blown panic mode before and Yamaguchi was glad he'd skipped that part. He didn't want to broadcast the fact that when he got really scared, he would literally latch onto the closest person (Tsukki once, to his dismay) and hug them. Imagine if he'd hugged the creepy Nekoma captain. Yamaguchi shuddered at this. That smile was from another world and the hair could not be natural.

Tsukki noticed his shudder and fixed him with a gaze. Yamaguchi had been surprised to find that his usually composed friend was actually nervous. His skin was pale and clammy and his eyes were frightened behind his glasses. Yamaguchi would almost find it funny if not for the reason why Tsukishima had been reduced to this.

The gunmen…

But the police were here now! The sirens had been heard outside and Taro was now pacing back and forth, swearing loudly whilst Komatsu watched with an 'I'm so done' expression plastered on his face.

The team (plus creepy captain Kuroo and blank-faced Kozume) were remaining quiet, obviously worried that if they spoke of how happy they were that the police were here, Taro would shoot at them.

"Are the police gonna burst in here all ninja style and rescue us?" Hinata just couldn't keep his mouth closed and even the whisper seemed loud in the echoey gym. Yamaguchi flinched. What if Taro had heard it?

"No," Daichi hissed, looking slightly annoyed though he tried to calm his voice. "They'll risk shooting us." Hinata's face fell and Yamaguchi felt a pang of sympathy for the boy. He'd kind of been hoping himself that this ordeal would be over now that the police were here. Obviously not.

The sirens were getting louder now, the cars were probably right outside the gym. There was a loud bang and Yamaguchi jumped. Usually, Tsukki would smirk at this but the blond seemed to have been startled himself.

Luckily, it was just Komatsu closing the doors which had been left open after the Ennoshita ordeal. Now the teens couldn't see anything. They were completely cut off from the help gathering outside.

"Is he going to threaten to shoot us again?" Hinata spoke again, his voice even softer. Suga gave him a warm smile, reaching out to ruffle Hinata's fluffy orange locks.

"Let's hope not," the third year said gently. Yamaguchi held back a sigh. That was a yes then. Suga wasn't going to lie to them, he knew that much, but he wasn't going to tell the truth either.

"We can only hope the police and Taro come to a deal," Kuroo hissed.

"What, like we're some package?" Nishinoya spat, his voice still managing to maintain a low volume though Asahi beside him tensed up.

"Would you rather be a package or die?" Daichi snapped back. Suga hit him gently on the head.

"Not now, Daichi," the setter scolded.

The sirens died away outside and for a split second, Yamaguchi was afraid the police were leaving, giving up before they'd even started. His eyes flew about wildly, stopping on the limp form of their teacher, Mr Takeda. The man was breathing evenly but showed no signs of waking. It had been a hard hit.

"ATTENTION!" A voice blared and this time Yamaguchi couldn't help but yelp in fright and press close to Tsukishima, who let him without even a complaint. Another thing that wasn't normal in this terrifying day. Hinata squeaked and Kozume bit his lip.

Taro swore again, his hand tensing around his gun.

"THIS IS THE POLICE!" the voice continued, way too loud for Yamaguchi's liking. There was a piercing burst of static before the voice continued much quieter. "We have the building surrounded. May we ask how many students are in the gym?"

Yamaguchi, along with everyone in the gym, looked to Taro. Daichi may have been in charge in the group of teens but the dominant one here was Suga's father.

"Piss off!" Taro retaliated. "I ain't telling you anything!"

"We have been told that there are at least ten people in the gym. Is this true?" The voice went on, calm and patient. Yamaguchi hoped with all hope that Taro would not be set off by this.

"Daichi, let me talk to the police," Suga's voice hissed. "I can speak to them. Please." Yamaguchi turned awkwardly to watch the captain and vice captain bicker.

"We can't risk it," Daichi whispered. Asahi nodded beside him.

"He came to get me, he won't shoot me," Suga insisted as Taro yelled at the police outside again. "We need to talk to them."

"What if he gets angry?" Daichi growled. "What then?"

"Are there ten people in the gym?" the voice repeated. Suga stood, tugging himself free of Daichi's hand.

"This is Koushi Sugawara!" he yelled, walking forward across the gym. "There are twelve people in the gym, not including the two men keeping us here!"

"Koushi, shut up," Taro hissed, spinning to face his son. His gun hung loosely in his hand but Yamaguchi knew that could change at any moment.

"Thank you, Sugawara!" the voice called back. "Can you tell us the situation inside?"

"Suga," Daichi warned from behind him. Yamaguchi could feel bile rising in his throat. Suddenly his fear was back. His hands started to shake and he sneezed again, causing Hinata to jump.

"Koushi, do not open your mouth," Taro said dangerously, his eyes narrowing into slits as he and his son stared daggers at each other. The man's hand began to rise, the gun pointed at Suga. Suga didn't move.

"Let him," Komatsu's voice broke the tension and Yamaguchi slumped as if he was a puppet whose strings had just been cut.

"Can you tell us the situation, Sugawara?" the voice repeated.

"There are eleven students in here and one teacher. He's been knocked unconscious." Yamaguchi had kind of been expecting Suga to tell the men where they were in the gym. That way, the police could come in and attack, knowing where to not shoot.

But then again, Taro looked extremely angry and the man was by no means dumb. They were pushing the boundaries as it was.

"Can you please identify yourselves?" the voice went on. Yamaguchi could see Taro's hand tightening on his gun. He pressed himself back further into Tsukki, expecting to be pushed away by the apathetic teen. No such thing happened, however.

"Myself, third year, Daichi Sawamura, third year, Asahi Azumane, third year," Suga began before proceeding to rattle off everyone in the gym. With each name, Taro seemed to get more angry until finally, after Suga had finished, he held the gun in the air.

"That's enough!" he shouted. "No more questions. Koushi, get back over there now!" Suga nodded, walking slowly back to the group where he collapsed against Daichi. Yamaguchi realised that the circle had huddled closer and closer together until they were now a very squashed up group of teens. Not one person wasn't in contact with another.

"That's fine," the voice outside said smoothly. "Thank you."

"Don't even think about coming in here!" Taro yelled. "Or I'll shoot one of the kids!"

Hinata squeaked behind Yamaguchi and the freckled first year was ashamed to say that he was glad Hinata was more afraid then he was. He didn't want to feel embarrassed after all of this was over.

_If it was ever over…_

That was a grim thought, one he hadn't particularly wanted to think.

However, he was stupid to believe that the police were going to make everything better. Of course it wasn't going to happen. They were going to be stuck in here forever.

"What are we going to do now?" a glum looking Tanaka asked, a far cry from his normal self.

"We need to brighten up," Kuroo said cheerfully, ignoring the foul glare Tanaka gave him. "The police are here and we should be out soon!"

"Be quiet Kuroo," Kozume hissed, frowning. "You don't want to make Taro upset."

_Taro has plenty to be upset about. _Yamaguchi couldn't help the small smile that formed on his lips.

"Yamaguchi," Tsukishima turned his neck awkwardly to look at him. "What are you smiling about?" It was the first that Tsukki had said in a while and Yamaguchi was determined to keep a conversation going.

"Nothing, Tsukki," he began, but Kuroo butted in.

"Tsukki," he smirked. "Aren't people allowed to smile?"

"Stop it Kuroo," Kozume snapped, his temper obviously stretched thin. "You're being annoying."

Silence fell after this, leaving Yamaguchi annoyed at Kuroo. Couldn't the Nekoma captain see that Tsukki wasn't acting like his usual self? Okay, so he didn't really know Kuroo but still…

"I'm hungry," Hinata whined.

"We already ate my muesli bars." Suga sighed.

"Didn't Ukai bring in some melon bread?" Nishinoya perked up.

"It's over by the benches." Daichi nodded over to the wrapped loaves. "But no one is going to get them. We're not risking our lives for food. Not when Taro is like this." Suga looked down at his feet.

"Spoilsport," Nishinoya whined.

Yamaguchi wasn't going to agree with the libero until his stomach growled. Now Daichi did seem like a spoil sport. That melon bread would sure fill a hole.

"We can wait, right?" Asahi hurried in to calm everyone down, smiling nervously. "Someone can get it when he's in a calmer mood."

"Which will be never," Hinata muttered, pouting slightly. Yamaguchi happened to look over at Suga as Hinata grumbled this and saw the setter's face crumple.

"He probably blames himself," the pinch server said to himself. Tsukishima glanced down at him.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," Yamaguchi said quickly. Tsukki was an amazing person but he probably wasn't the best person to talk to about Suga. "Just wondering if the police are going to try talking to us again."

Suga overheard this exchange. "They're probably calling our parents," he said, his smile twisting ruefully as he looked over at Taro. "Well, parent, in my case."

"Do you think they'll actually turn up outside?" Kageyama joined in the conversation. "Our parents, I mean."

"I'd imagine so," Daichi said. "No sane parent is going to stay where they are when they hear that their son is being held captive by a…" he trailed off. Suga gave him a slight smile, tilting his head as if to show he wasn't upset. Yamaguchi knew this was a lie.

"So my parents are gonna come down from Tokyo then," Kuroo said, slightly smug. Kenma hit him.

"Will they try calling our phones?" Nishinoya said suddenly and everyone knew what he meant. Hinata's phone was in his bag and it was not meant to be there.

_What if it's not on silent? _Fear ran through Yamaguchi. Taro wouldn't know whose bag it was. He could shoot any one of them. He could shoot Tsukki.

_He could shoot me…_

It was selfish but when death was looming above you, you had a right to be. Just as long as you being selfish didn't mean you pushed other people in your way…right?

Time ticked by. It felt like forever but a glance at Asahi's watch (he'd only just remembered he had in tucked into his sock) told the team that it was quarter past ten. Barely any time had passed at all.

"I don't want Natsu to find out about this." Hinata spoke, resting his head on his knees. "She thinks everything in the world is good."

"Then she has a lot to learn," Kageyama said blankly. "Dumbass," he added at the end. Tsukki smirked at this so Yamaguchi did too.

"Don't insult Natsu," Hinata snapped.

"I was insulting you."

"Jerk."

"Dumbass."

"You already called me that."

"Whatever, dumbass."

"Kageyama, you can't do that." Daichi had a slight smile on his face. "If you're going to insult someone, do it well." Yamaguchi laughed a little but stopped when Suga hit the captain.

"Don't go teaching him stuff like that," he scolded.

The team fell into silence again. Yamaguchi glanced back over at Taro and Komatsu. He couldn't help it really, he just had to know what they were doing. Komatsu was sitting down, drinking from a water bottle and Taro was reloading his gun. Yamaguchi shuddered, turning back to focus on the huddling group. Tiny masses of metal aimed to tear through flesh and leave a trail of destruction. No bigger than an acorn yet they had the power to kill, to take a life.

Nishinoya was trying to get Asahi to play a hand clapping game to which the third year was trying to say no without sounding rude. Suga had his head resting on Daichi's shoulder, staring thoughtfully outwards.

Hinata was bugging Tanaka, asking him to braid his hair whilst Kageyama sat off to the side, probably hoping that Hinata wouldn't ask him. Kozume was perched near Takeda, switching the ice-pack for another, to Yamaguchi's surprise. He hadn't expected the Nekoma setter to care. His creepy captain was watching.

Tsukki, when Yamaguchi looked at him, was rubbing at his ear, shaking his head occasionally.

"What's wrong Tsukki?" he asked.

"Loud…" Tsukishima muttered, sighing as he shifted his weight around. "Never you mind, Yamaguchi."

"Do you think Akiteru will come with your parents?" Yamaguchi pressed, bored and tired of being left out of conversations.

"No," Tsukishima said shortly. "He's at university."

"Oh…" The conversation died and Yamaguchi wished that there was something they could do. What were the police doing outside?

"Can I got get the melon bread now?" Nishinoya asked. "Taro looks…calmer."

Everyone turned their head in one synchronized movement to stare at the man in question. Taro was growling at his phone whilst Komatsu watched.

"Fine," Daichi said after a brief pause. "But no ninja ballerina tricks. This is serious now, Nishinoya."

Yamaguchi wanted to point out that it had been serious before but now that the police had shown up, it was probably considered even more serious. The gym, the place that meant so much to the team (except for Tsukki, maybe) was losing the joy it had once held. It was turning into a place of fear. Yamaguchi hoped after today that it would never get viewed that way again. They were meant to have fun here, to learn and to test their boundaries. Being tested right now was how calm they could be with the threat of death looming over them.

Nishinoya snuck over, fussing around and taking a bit longer than Yamaguchi was expecting. But then he realised. Hinata's phone was over there! Nishinoya was obviously getting it!

The tiny libero skipped back, the melon bread the only thing visible in his grasp and Taro hadn't even glanced over. And when Nishinoya wormed his way into the centre of the group, he presented Hinata's phone to Daichi. It had half its power and was on silent. Things were looking up!

"Attention!" The loud voice startled nearly everyone, Hinata yet again squeaking and even Daichi jumping in shock. "This is the police again! Can you please tell us the state of your teacher?"

"I told you guys to shut up!" Taro shouted before any of the teens in the room could speak. They were all on edge now, aware that Taro was so very close to snapping.

"We just wish to know his condition," the voice replied, more calmer and quiet. "If this isn't too much."

"I wonder how many people are out there…" Yamaguchi whispered.

"Maybe our parents have arrived," Hinata said excitedly. "Can I try calling my mum?"

"No calling," Daichi said firmly. "Texting only. I'm hoping Ennoshita is out there, we can try him."

"Why not my parents?" Hinata whined.

"We don't know if they've even been told," Daichi said firmly. "You could just send them into a panic and they could try calling. Better to talk to someone who knows the situation."

_He didn't become captain for nothing, _Yamaguchi thought. _He's smart off the court as well_.

By now, Taro's yelling and swearing had caused the voice to fall silent. Yet again they were cut off from the world outside. The gym was turning into a prison. Now was as good a time as any for them to try texting.

"I don't have Ennoshita's number in my phone," Hinata fretted.

"I don't remember it," Daichi admitted.

_Well this is working well. _Yamaguchi bit his lip. Their plan was falling apart around them.

"I remember it," Suga whispered excitedly, grabbing the phone from Hinata to type in the number. He then handed it to Daichi to actually write the text. "I had written it on my hand in permanent marker by accident. It was there for a week."

Once the composed captain was done, he handed it round the group for everyone to approve. Yamaguchi was surprised by this but waited tensely for the phone. They had to be careful when passing the device around. Komatsu seemed smart and if they stayed quiet and didn't look over to the men for a while, he'd probably guess that something was going on.

Yamaguchi peered over Tsukishima's shoulder when the phone had made its way round to the two of them.

_Ennoshita, this is Daichi texting from Hinata's phone. Can you please give your phone to the police. We are all safe apart from Takeda. He's unconscious, breathing easily. We are using instant cold packs to treat the wound._

Tsukki passed the phone on to Kuroo without a word. The Nekoma captain was the last person to view the text before it would be sent. With a nod, Kuroo handed it back to Daichi who quickly pressed the send button.

"Hey, what are you kids doing over there?" Komatsu called suddenly and Yamaguchi's heart leapt into his throat.

_He's seen the phone. We're all gonna die now. Crap, I don't want to die!_

"Why are you so quiet?" Taro joined in the questioning. Yamaguchi felt his heart begin to race. He couldn't breathe. They were all going to die!

He pressed himself even further into Tsukki, surprised to feel that his tall friend was shaking. Yamaguchi wanted to look at him but he was too scared to even tear his gaze away from the two men and their guns.

"We…" Suga broke off, staring in shock at his dad.

"You trying to work out if you can get out?" Taro's voice was quiet, slow, dangerous.

"No," Suga was quick to say.

_Come on, _Yamaguchi willed him. _Don't mess up._

"So you're not planning anything?" Taro's voice was just as sly as before, his eyes narrowing as he stared at his son.

"No," Suga insisted. "What, is it illegal to be scared now? Should we pretend to be happy? Make you feel better about what you're doing?"

"Suga," Yamaguchi whispered, wishing he had the courage to tell the third year to stop. This wasn't going to end well for anyone if Suga kept pushing his father.

"Taro let it go," Komatsu said grumpily from his side. "I was wrong, okay? Just let them be."

"You're the one who pointed it out," Taro spat at Komatsu, brandishing his gun at the group of volleyball players.

"We were just wondering if we were allowed to play volleyball again!" a voice yelled nervously. Who was saying it? The voice was familiar. Oh crap, it was _h__im!_ Yamaguchi was speaking!

"What?" Taro cocked his head. Yamaguchi, in the heat of everything, found himself comparing Taro to an elastic band. He was getting pulled tighter and tighter and then he would snap. Someone would get hit.

"We were getting bored. Could we at least play with one of the balls?" Yamaguchi went on. He had no idea where this strength was coming from, especially when there was a gun pointed in his general direction.

"That's what you were planning?" Taro hissed at him. Yamaguchi's mind went blank. _Yes! It was!_ But nothing came out. He couldn't speak, couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

"Yes," a seemingly bored voice broke the haze of panic. "We were trying to work out if we could sneak over and get a ball."

_TSUKKI!_

"See?" Komatsu tugged at Taro's hand, pulling the gun away from Yamaguchi. "Let them get a ball. They can just roll it around. And we can work out what to do."

Taro turned away, still grumbling and Yamaguchi felt his legs give way. He landed awkwardly, jarring his knees.

"Yamaguchi, you idiot!" Hinata burst out. "I was so scared!" He scrambled over Kageyama (ignoring the setter's muttered insult) to throw his arms around the freckled first year.

"Ah…sorry," Yamaguchi stared down at the orange-haired teen clinging to his neck. "Do...do you think you could let go?"

"Oh, sorry," Hinata backed away. There was a bump as a volleyball was dropped into Yamaguchi's lap. He looked up to see Tsukishima towering over him, face blank as usual.

"Nice save," he said flatly and sat down next to the pinch server.

"Did you get a reply from Ennoshita?" Nishinoya hissed as the group rearranged themselves into a circle, Yamaguchi pushing the ball towards Hinata to start the game off.

"No," Daichi said after checking quickly. "I hope he has his phone with him."

"If not, who do we text then?" Tanaka frowned, tapping at the ball to send it to Asahi.

"Mum!" Hinata burst out, his face falling as everyone shushed him. "Sorry."

"We need to be logical," Yamaguchi hummed, mostly to himself. When all eyes flew to him, he realised they had heard him. "I mean, with who we text." His face flamed red. "Is...is Shimizu at school today? Does she keep her phone with her?"

"I was talking to her last night." Suga shrugged, pushing Tanaka's face away as he leered at him. "About the club. She was meant to be at school today and she usually has her phone despite claiming she doesn't."

"How do you know all of this?" Tanaka accused. Yamaguchi had to laugh. Some things were still the same despite the whole situation.

"Because we're both third years and in the volleyball club," Suga said flatly. "Anyway, you could try texting her."

"With the police being outside, she's probably heard about what's going on and is outside too." Daichi instantly began to tap away at the phone, the ball bouncing around the circle disguising what he was doing.

"This is boring," Hinata complained after the message had been sent. "Can we make a game out of this?"

"Try and hit people in the face?" Kuroo suggested, grinning sheepishly as Kenma glared at him.

"Well, Hinata's an expert at that." Tanaka grinned. The boy in question moodily stuck his tongue out.

"Pathetic," Tsukishima muttered under his breath. Yamaguchi's face lit up. Tsukki was still the same!

"What if we spread our legs out and you had to try and get it into the person's lap?" Asahi suggested shyly. "The person who rolled the ball gets a point if they do."

"Yeah!" Nishinoya cheered. "You're so smart, Asahi!"

The threatening grip on the gym began to loosen, just a bit. They could still have fun. They could still stop the safe foundations from fading forever.

The game went on, more violent than before now that the title of winner was on the line. Yamaguchi wasn't really interested in hitting the ball, he just blocked it now and again, his gaze often just shifting back to his friend beside him.

"Gah!" Nishinoya watched in dismay as Kuroo blocked his ball. "This game just doesn't work with volleyball players."

"Got a reply?" Kageyama asked, targeting Kenma who didn't even defend himself.

"No." Daichi sighed. "I don't understand."

Kenma gave the ball to Kuroo who aimed at Tsukishima, obviously looking to rile the blond, a pastime he was fond of. Tsukki however, was not paying that much attention and the ball bounced off his hands, flying up to smack his face.

"Tsukki!" Yamaguchi shrieked as the tall middle blocker reeled backwards.

"My bad." Kuroo smirked.

"Idiot," Tsukishima spat at Kuroo. "You've cracked one of the lenses of my glasses."

"Kuroo, apologise," Kenma said flatly. Yamaguchi was busy fussing around Tsukki.

"Your nose is bleeding," he whimpered. "Do we have cotton buds or tissues in the first aid kit?"

"Kuroo, be more careful," Daichi snapped as he handed over the supplies Yamaguchi was asking for. "And Tsukishima, pay more attention."

"Whatever," Tsukishima muttered, pushing Yamaguchi away from his face. "I'm fine now."

"I got a reply," Daichi hissed suddenly. "From Shimizu. She's with the police now. They want to know the positioning of everyone in the gym."

Everyone began to crowd round but Daichi held up a hand. "We don't want to make them suspicious," he explained. "Keep playing with the ball. I'll reply."

The ball bounced back and forth whilst Daichi tapped away, now and again conferring with Suga. It seemed very complicated to Yamaguchi.

"Can your phone send pictures, Hinata?" Yamaguchi asked his fellow first year.

"Yeah." Hinata beamed proudly. Daichi sat up straighter at this.

"Don't risk it, Daichi," Suga hissed, but the captain was already snapping some photos, staring cautiously at Taro and Komatsu as he did so.

"You're an idiot." Suga scolded.

"Hey guys, melon bread!" Nishinoya cheered. Or course, they still had it! It had been forgotten in the whole deal with the phone. The tiny second year began to tear the loaves into chunks and hand them out.

Hinata instantly began to compare his portion against the size of Kageyama's, much to Yamaguchi's amusement.

"Surely now that the police know where we're positioned in the gym, we'll be getting out of here soon," Tanaka said around his mouthful of melon bread.

"I don't think so." Suga lowered his bread without having taken a bite. "They still can't risk a bullet going astray or my...Taro and Komatsu shooting at us. Face it guys, we're in for a long day."

"Suga," Nishinoya whined. "Don't be so negative."

Yamaguchi frowned. This wasn't like Suga. He was usually so cheerful and the one to jump in and put a smile back on everyone's faces.

"I wonder what's going on outside." Asahi hadn't even taken a single bite of his melon bread and Yamaguchi noticed that Hinata was eying it hungrily.

"Maybe my idea to get a TV in the gym was valid." Nishinoya grinned. "Then if we were on the news, we'd know."

"No." Daichi gave him a glare. "And that ridiculous idea aside, who's to say we'd even be _on _TV?"

"Come on Daichi, you know you're curious," Tanaka pressed.

"Yes, but we just have to handle the fact that we don't know," Daichi said firmly.

"What should we do now?" Yamaguchi ran his finger along the ground aimlessly.

"Guess what's going on outside?" Kuroo suggested.

"Maybe the FBI have come!" Hinata burst out.

"They're based in America, dumbass," Kageyama rapped the orange haired middle blocker's head with his knuckles.

"Well, what do we have?" Hinata complained.

"Maybe we could just ask," Yamaguchi suggested, feeling stupid when everyone stared at him. "Ask Taro or Komatsu what's going on outside. They can see through the window by the door."

"We're not asking insane guys!" Kageyama protested.

"I don't know," Yamaguchi hesitated. "Komatsu seems…okay."

"He knocked Takeda out!" Nishinoya shot at him. "How is that okay?"

"Taro was gonna kill him," Yamaguchi retorted. "Komatsu seems reluctant to actually hurt any of us."

"Well…" Kageyama hesitated. "The whole thing with Ennoshita, he probably could have shot him if he wanted to."

"Don't say that." Hinata pressed his hands over his ears.

"Do you guys want to know what's going on or not?" It seemed Tsukki was one hundred percent done with the conversation.

"Well, yes," Nishinoya mumbled.

"Hey!" Tsukishima yelled over.

"Tsukki," Yamaguchi hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Asking," the blond replied flatly. "Like you suggested."

"I…" Yamaguchi wasn't sure what to say. Now that Tsukki was actually doing it, it just seemed stupid and really dangerous.

"What?" Taro snapped, raising the gun threateningly. Yamaguchi saw Tsukki swallow and felt the urge to latch onto his friend and tell him to shut up.

"Can you please tell us what's going on outside?"

_Please? Did Tsukki just say please? _Yamaguchi stared at his friend in shock. _No way!_

"Like we'd tell you brats," Taro spat.

"There's a circle of police cars," Komatsu answered lazily. "And they've got a barrier up to stop some hysterical adults - probably your parents - from getting close."

"Komatsu…" Taro began dangerously but Komatsu held up a hand for silence.

"The police are circling the gym. There's a group in the corner with some girl. That's about it. You happy now?" This was directed at Tsukishima who clenched his fists and nodded.

_Tsukki's so brave, _Yamaguchi thought as the group closed off again.

"That was dumb," Daichi scolded the tall first year. "Don't ever do it again."

"We were really worried." Suga added.

"_Mum and dad," _Hinata hissed, causing Yamaguchi to laugh.

"The group with the girl must be the police with your manager," Kuroo pointed out. "Let's hope those two butt-heads don't catch on."

"Kuroo," Kenma said warningly. The two bickered like a married couple at times.

The group of teens began to split into smaller ones, chatting quietly about nothing in particular now that the ball game held no interest. Yamaguchi ended up with Hinata and Kageyama. Tsukki was moping by himself. Well, maybe not moping, that made him sound like a baby.

"I think we're going to get through this." Yamaguchi gave a slight smile, trying to reassure Hinata, despite the orange haired teen being older than him.

"Honestly…" Hinata looked gloomily at Yamaguchi. "I just want to go home. I want the gym to go back to normal. I want everyone to be happy again. This sucks! Why did this have to happen to us? Don't you just wish that something could have gone differently? Like maybe we end practice early or don't show up to school or the police save the day or Suga's dad doesn't bother with trying to take him? You get it?"

"Yeah," Yamaguchi rested his chin on his knees. "I get it."

_But wishing won't help anything now… All we can do is wait and have faith. I just hope that even that doesn't get too hard for us._

* * *

**There we go! The precious cinnamon bun. X3**

**I hope you enjoyed Toph's chapter. I can't wait to get my next one out. It sort of like, 'I want to stand on the court too!' *laughs and rolls away***

**Thanks for reading and reviewing and faving and following! Please drop a comment, they're always appreciated~!**

**-Zakuro**


	5. Daichi Sawamura

**Hello again, everyone! It's that time again! Zakuro's turn! It isn't a long chapter (especially compared to the one I'm writing now) but I hope that it'll be a case of quality over quantity, ya know?**

**So anyway, I just wanna say how thankful I am to everyone who reviewed. It's so great to hear what you guys think! Please drop us a couple of words if you've got the chance! (Any other writers out there will know how awesome it is to get reviews. XD)**

**I hope I do well, because Daichi is one of my favourite characters. Enjoy!**

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**CHAPTER 5: DAICHI SAWAMURA**

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_There are thirteen others here, _Daichi thought to himself. _Eleven are my teammates and two are enemies. We may outnumber them, but their artillery is something we have no chance of taking on._

Those were the basics of the situation, he had decided. Those were the teams in this game, as it were. If one was to describe such a twisted situation as any kind of game.

To Daichi, it was anything but.

Perhaps to those with that sort of mindset, which he was sure some members of the group definitely had, this could be viewed through the eyes of a player. The eyes of someone who was trying to foresee the next move and apply the appropriate strategy. The eyes of those finding a way to win.

Daichi, however, saw things through the eyes of a captain. Of course he was trying to figure out how to get out of this mess as well, but on top of that he was also trying to keep the team under control. He needed to keep them acting sensibly by applying the right amount of honesty, but also keep them brave with just the right amount of optimism. Too much of either could prove disastrous.

No doubt Suga was thinking the same thing, being the team player he was, but he didn't have the same authority Daichi had.

As well as that, his fellow captain Kuroo seemed to have retained his leader's instincts. But this was Daichi's gym, his territory, so the title had been given to him over anyone else.

Especially now that Takeda had been taken out of the picture.

Although assuming this position had come naturally to Daichi, it didn't make it any easier to bear. He couldn't shake the feeling that the lives of his eleven teammates (_wait, eleven?_) were resting in his hands. Because he knew they were all looking to him for permission, looking to him for orders and looking to him for hope.

"_Captain_…" Hinata's nervous gaze.

"_Captain!_" Noya's determined voice.

"_Captain._" Even Tsukishima's aloof attitude had wavered to a kind of quiet respect.

"Captain…Captain! Daichi!"

"Huh?" He perked up as Suga poked him in the face.

"Ah, good!" The setter smiled. "I was starting to think you'd spaced out permanently."

"No," replied Daichi, glancing around. "Not permanently, at least."

"Has Kiyoko said anything?" asked Tanaka, bouncing the volleyball up and down where he sat. He seemed oblivious to the fact that Tsukishima's nose-blood was still dotted on it.

Daichi shook his head. He had Hinata's phone pressed under his leg so he was sure to feel it vibrate.

"I imagine they're making a plan out there," muttered Kuroo cautiously, swiping at Tanaka's ball. "Now that they know where in the gym we are."

Suddenly, there was another burst of static from outside the gym.

"Attention, hostiles! This is your last opportunity to surrender before you become marked enemies. Repeat, surrender now and your punishment may not be so severe!"

"I will not!" roared Taro, startling the whole group. His temper was so short he could shoot from silence to unadulterated fury in an instant.

Daichi clenched his jaw. _And just when he'd begun to calm down again._

"If you dare to touch that door, I'll open fire!" continued Taro in an enraged shout. His face was red and Daichi was sure he saw spittle flying. "If you try shooting through the windows, I'll shoot one of those brats! If you tell them to attack, I'll kill them all!"

He aimed the gun wildly as he ranted.

There was a mad shuffle in the back of the gym as the group squished into each other instinctively. Hinata ended up pressed into the middle with his hands over his head with Kenma squashed to his side. Kuroo had grabbed them by the shoulders out of shock and even Tsukishima had no qualms about pressing into the Nekoma captain. Yamaguchi was hiding behind them both, whimpering, and behind him lay the unconscious Takeda.

Daichi found himself at the front of the group. He had no problems with this, but his heart was pounding like a drum. He felt someone moving behind him, trying to push past, and turned his head.

It was Suga, wriggling forward in a bid to place himself at the front of the group.

"Move, Daichi!" he whispered. "Let me—"

"Like I said before, none of you are staring that gun down any more times than necessary," replied Daichi sternly, cutting him off. "It's my turn in the firing line, Koushi."

Suga looked like he was about to protest, but closed his mouth and reverted to a kind of angry silence. "Fine. But after you've had your turn, who will you shove out next?"

That startled Daichi. He hadn't thought of it that way. Sure, he'd said that he wouldn't let anyone repeatedly shield the rest, but he'd been thinking almost entirely of Suga when he'd said it. He didn't really think many of the others would be willing to put themselves out there unless they happened to be in the most convenient (or rather, inconvenient) position.

Especially some of the more timid and panicky types. Yamaguchi would crack under the heat and Hinata would probably faint or something equally helpful. The more boisterous members would be liable to push too far. Kuroo seemed an alright choice but his shifting nature was a hassle. Asahi would likely freeze up, Kageyama would be too blunt and who even knew what Tsukishima would do…

Daichi shook the thoughts from his head. He'd deal with that when it came to it. All that mattered was keeping everyone safe.

The 'negotiations' were continuing up the front of the gym, but to no avail. Each compromise suggested was met with a string of threats and profanities.

Komatsu was pacing in the background, glaring at his partner. He looked fed up with Taro's stubborn raging. He glanced at the teens staring at him every so often with a gaze that looked like he was continuing to size them up.

Daichi met his gaze each time, determined not to let his nerves show through.

"ALL OF YOU SHUT IT!"

The roar caught the semi-distracted group by surprise, causing a ripple of shuffling as everyone flinched. Daichi screwed his eyes shut as Taro thrust the gun in their direction. He eased them back open after realising he was waiting for a bullet that wasn't coming.

There was that bizarre noise again… Hinata.

Daichi turned his head as there was another round of shuffling. The team had moved a little bit to look at the tiny ginger, who was tucked into a ball again.

Behind him, Tsukishima had divided his attention between the centre of the circle and the outside, where Yamaguchi was shaking uncontrollably. The blond first year was muttering something to his friend and tapping the ground.

"Shoyo, Shoyo!" Nishinoya was whispering, rubbing his shoulder. "Shoyo, calm down."

It didn't seem to be helping. Hinata was trembling, his words coming between short gasps. "Please…don't…hurt…us…"

The wild-haired libero's eyes widened as he heard Hinata's panicked mantra, the wheezing phrase changing ever so slightly with each line.

"Hinata…" Asahi looked awfully upset. Suga had turned around to put a hand on the ginger's knee.

"Don't…" Hinata hiccupped. "...hurt…my…friends…"

Noya's head turned, his sharp eyes zeroing in on Taro and Komatsu. Daichi knew that look. That was the look for the most hated of enemies. That wasn't just a look for the rivals on the other side of the net; that was the look for those most despicable of foes who barely deserved the right to breathe.

On the face of Yuu Nishinoya, that look meant war.

Daichi followed his dark glare across the gym to where their captors stood. Taro had turned his gun away from them once again, his focus back on the police. It was as if they meant nothing to him.

He'd come for his son, but not because he wanted his family. He wanted Suga as a possession, and the fact that he was being denied the rights to the teenager was something that made him even more desperate to have him.

It made Daichi sick, that there were people who would go to such lengths as to think of people as objects to be owned or just shot at whenever they got troublesome.

And he couldn't understand how such a man was related to Koushi Sugawara.

When he looked back to the group behind him, Nishinoya was examining his scuffed trainers with his back pressed comfortingly against Hinata's side. Suga was talking to the first year gently, patting his cheeks until he relented and gave a wobbly smile.

_How do they share blood? _Daichi found himself asking again. _How?_

Kageyama was watching his fellow setter with an unreadable expression. His dark eyes were normally very focused, but now they just looked tired and edgy. Daichi had been about to say something to him when he spoke himself.

"Sugawara, how long has it been since you last saw your father?" he asked quietly. "You don't have to tell me - it's just been bothering me for a while now."

"Hmm… Well…" Suga touched a hand to his chin. "I'm not one hundred percent sure, but it was probably when I was around nine or ten."

"Oh." Kageyama glanced backwards as Tanaka bumped into him during a stretch. "So, did he just…up and leave or what?"

Suga shrugged. "I don't think that he was ever really there to begin with. He was busy with his job as an officer a lot of the time, along with some…illicit activities on the side. Of course, he eventually got arrested. I didn't find that out until I started high school – mum told me that he went away on a mission or something up 'til then. He and Komatsu must have just got out of jail."

"And the first thing he did was come to get you…" said Asahi quietly.

Suga frowned to himself, casting his gaze down to his feet. "Actually, that was… He had tried to get custody of me before he got arrested. Over time, I realised that it was probably an inquest into his suitability as a parent that got him discovered."

Daichi watched as Taro shouted at the police through the door again, wondering how fast the situation could be solved if they could fire through it and kill him right then and there. But of course, the doors were far too thick for that. "So all that time in jail spent thinking about the son he was intent on taking…the reason he was even locked up to begin with…"

Suga gave a mirthless smile. "Yeah. I imagine he isn't particularly happy with me."

"What about Komatsu?" asked Kuroo. It seemed everyone had tuned into the conversation now.

"I'm not sure," said Suga as Daichi switched his attention to the man leaning against the wall behind Taro. He barely seemed concerned, like he knew there was no way out and he'd just left the whole situation to Taro and the police. "They were partners in crime, as they say, so Komatsu ended up getting arrested for the things my…my father did. But he doesn't seem aggressive or even that worried, for that matter."

"I can't get a reading on him either," said Asahi. "I don't think he intended for this to happen, though."

"I don't trust him," growled Nishinoya. He was doing that glare again. "He shot at Ennoshita."

"I don't trust him either," added Tanaka with a wild sneer.

"That really doesn't mean much coming from you, Tanaka," replied Daichi. "Though I don't really think any of us should trust him. He is holding us at gunpoint, after all."

Asahi nodded. "I'm just saying he seems a lot less likely to shoot us than Taro. Right?"

There was a series of nods in return. The only one who didn't join was Hinata, who bit his lip and looked down again.

"You don't think so, Hinata?" asked Suga.

"Well…" The little teen swallowed. "I don't know… I guess I think that, but…he still could, so…I don't want to put too much faith in him, you know?"

"I understand." Suga ruffled his hair. "But don't worry too much. The police are here, remember? That's better than when no-one knew we were gone."

Hinata nodded.

Daichi turned his attention back to their captors, who had fallen silent. There was a bubbling of noise from outside and he could only assume they were pushing the people outside beyond Karasuno's boundaries. The school buildings would likely have been evacuated long ago.

"Hinata is right," he said with a quiet certainty. "We need to keep a reasonable degree of suspicion."

He looked back over his shoulder at the group, surprised to see they were all looking at him. _What? Was I supposed to say something more?_

"Hey! You brats!"

Daichi snapped back around to Taro, his heart nearly skipping a beat. "Ye-Yes?" His voice cracked in the middle of the word, making him cringe internally.

"You still have your stupid equipment, right?" the gunman asked roughly. "You can still play, right?"

Daichi nodded and felt the group press in behind him.

"Then get up. Play your damn volleyball." The order was absolute enough already, but a twitch of the gun at his waist was enough to force Daichi to his feet. He felt Suga slip his hand forward and snatch the phone before his father noticed.

"Why would he want us to play now?" The whisper sounded like Kageyama's voice, but he'd spoken a little too loudly.

"Don't question me!" snapped Taro. "Now get up! All of you! Get moving! NOW!"

Everyone scrambled to their feet bar Takeda and Hinata, the latter of whom Kageyama pulled up quickly. No-one made a move to get closer to the court, prompting the gun at Taro's waist to rise to aim at their chests.

"_Move_," he snarled.

Daichi picked the ball up off the ground and took a small step towards the court.

"Come on, team," he said, bouncing the ball and forcing what could possibly have been the most false smile of his life. "Let's play, huh?"

There was a round of hesitant murmuring before Kuroo pushed his way out of the small cluster and took a place next to his fellow captain.

"We'll all waste away if we don't practice," he said, twisting his mouth into a wry grin. "Right, Captain Sawamura?"

"Of course," replied Daichi. More for the hell of it than anything else, he added, "Captain Kuroo."

"We've got uneven numbers," Kageyama pointed out cautiously.

"A referee…" mumbled Kenma, his eyes darting nervously from Kuroo to Taro.

"Yes. Referee." Daichi looked around. "Who wants to be referee?"

Kenma looked like he was about to raise his hand but glanced towards Hinata questioningly.

Daichi began to ask him. "Do you want to—"

"Hurry up!" barked Taro.

Hinata shook his head quickly. "No. I want to be on the court."

"Alright. Kenma can be referee." Daichi surveyed the group quickly. "Asahi, Tanaka, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi with Kuroo."

He motioned to the rest to follow. "Hinata, Kageyama, Nishinoya and Suga, you're with me."

He liked this arrangement best personality-wise. Tanaka and Nishinoya together could spell disaster, especially if they were on the opposite team from him. Putting the calmer types on the side of the court closest to Taro and Komatsu also seemed like a good move, though he knew Yamaguchi wouldn't be happy about it.

On the other hand, having Hinata further away from them was good, as well as putting him on the same team as Suga.

Or perhaps he was just overthinking everything. He sighed a little bit, watching everyone take their places. Suga and Kageyama gave a quick rock-paper-scissors on who would be setter and the third year took the position.

"Come on, Kenma…" It was Kuroo, following his teammate around the net and folding his arms. "Why won't you play?"

"We need a referee."

"But I want you to toss."

"I don't want to."

Kuroo pulled a face and gave up as Kenma continued to stare at him placidly.

"Fine," he conceded. "But I'm going to switch you in eventually."

"Get playing already!" snapped Taro from the side of the court.

Daichi's eyes narrowed at the man and he spun the ball tensely. Suga stepped up behind him, slipping the phone to him. "Why does he want us to play?" the captain asked.

"Probably to use us as a shield. If we're playing volleyball, the police won't risk storming this place in case they hit us," reasoned Suga in a whisper. "There's a text from the police, too. They said they're doing all they can."

Daichi looked at him and discretely tucked the phone into the band of his track pants, having no words for a moment. Quietly, he replied, "Let's just hope they do it fast."

* * *

"Tanaka, nice kill!"

"Yes! Thanks!"

"Sugawara, nice serve!"

"Ah! Sorry!"

"Don't mind, don't mind!"

The game had switched around a lot by now. Asahi found himself on Daichi's team, Kenma was on (much to Kuroo's apparent happiness) and Daichi was playing referee, half his attention on the match and half on the hostiles. There was a lot of cheering and theatrics, but the air was just as strained as usual.

The only person who seemed care about the outcome of the game was Hinata. Daichi was surprised, though he knew he shouldn't be. It seemed ridiculous to be so into a game of volleyball in this kind of scenario, but somehow Hinata's enthusiasm seemed to be making everyone just a little happier.

"Kageyama!" Said player's cry echoed in the gym as he rocketed from one end of the net to the other.

The black haired first year tossed backwards and Hinata smashed the ball to the ground centimetres beyond Yamaguchi's fingertips. He landed with a thud and a loud, "Yes!"

Yamaguchi sighed, wiping sweat off his forehead. He glanced towards where Daichi was standing. "Captain?" he called.

"Yes?"

"Can I ref for a while?" he asked. "Keeping up with Hinata is kinda exhausting."

"Sure. I'll join your team." Daichi strode onto the court, passing Yamaguchi as he went.

"Alright. It's Kageyama's serve."

Daichi took a deep breath, glancing back over his shoulder at the pair of gunmen. They seemed to be quite calm at the moment. Taro was rubbing his hand over his face wearily and Komatsu was watching the game with mild interest.

He looked back towards the court as Nishinoya's lone call alerted him to Kageyama's incoming serve.

It speared neatly over the net, making a beeline for the space between Daichi and Tanaka.

"Daichi!"

"Got it!" He dashed backwards, eyes fixed on the ball. _Can I make that?_

Skidding to a halt, he caught the ball square on his wrists and it sailed towards Kenma. But as he came to a rough stop, something else skittered out onto the gym floor and kept going.

A string of curses came to mind, but Daichi didn't speak in favour of gaping after Hinata's phone as it slid towards Taro and Komatsu.

He felt his blood freeze with a numb kind of terror, the kind you only felt when you knew you were finished. The kind that seemed like the last nail being smashed into your coffin or feeling the floor fall out beneath your feet with a hundred metre drop into freezing water leering up at you from below.

And as the silver phone twirled to a halt right at Komatsu's feet, Daichi felt himself hit that icy water and sink like a deadweight.

The only other people who had noticed the deadly slip-up were Tanaka right beside him and Suga, watching him intensely from the other side of the net. Both of them were staring at him with looks of complete horror and Daichi knew he probably looked the same to them.

A free ball went sailing over the net and bounced to the ground right in front of the captain, but he honestly couldn't care less. His attention was completely focused on Komatsu as he bent down and grabbed the mobile.

_The second he opens it he'll see the texts we've sent!_ Daichi's heartbeat pounded in his ears. _And if he shows Taro, who knows what'll happen!_

"Keep your head in the game, Captain!"

_I messed up_, he thought, tearing his eyes away from Komatsu and back to his teammates. Nishinoya was waving at him, pointing at the ball. Suga looked blank. Hinata looked purely confused.

He looked away from them again. He wasn't sure if he was actually breathing. _I'm sorry, everyone. I messed up. It all ends here because I messed up._

But…Komatsu didn't make a move to show his partner the phone. He didn't even say anything.

Tanaka was staring at the captain as if asking for confirmation that what he was seeing was the truth. Daichi had nothing to offer him because he didn't even know himself.

_So will you show him? Will you doom us all? _he thought desperately. _If not, what will you do? Just shove it in your pocket? Dammit, I should have put it somewhere safer! Which will it be? Will you let us go or make us face the consequences?!_

Komatsu looked at him, long and hard.

Some of the players were calling out to him.

He watched the man reach for his pocket, where his gun was holstered.

In slow motion, saw him pull it out…and slip the phone away in its place.

He felt the heavy presence of the target on his chest as the barrel of the gun found its way to his heart.

_But he said nothing about the mobile._

"What are you just standing around for?" Komatsu asked in a tone that was so nonchalant it was almost laughable that everyone was so intimidated by it. He looked Daichi in the eye. "Keep moving."

_I won't let you have this phone_, the man seemed to be saying. _You can't keep it, but I'll let you go._

All of a sudden the weight disappeared and Daichi found himself floundering for the surface of the icy depths. He broke into the air, feeling a dizzying shift as he remembered what it felt like to breathe.

"C-Captain!" It was Tanaka, with eyes wide as he flicked his gaze between the gun and his teammate.

Daichi bent over and grabbed the volleyball at his feet, breathing fast and trying to clear the dark fuzz at the sides of his vision. His legs were tingling with a bizarre kind of numbness, like he'd been sitting on his knees for the past three hours. He hardly felt the material of the ball as he held it.

"Wh-who's serving?" he asked, looking over the array of startled faces.

"I think it's you," replied Tanaka, looking unsettlingly rattled for who he was.

"Okay then." He stepped back reluctantly. Just behind him, Komatsu lowered the gun.

_Smack!_

Daichi cringed as the ball spun on a diagonal off his serve, hitting the net and bouncing to the floor. "Oh… Sorry…"

"No, it's…" Tanaka swallowed and flashed a smile. "It's not a problem."

"Right! No problem on this side!" replied Nishinoya enthusiastically. "Hit us another one just like that next time, Captain!"

"Noya, don't make fun of Daichi…" Suga said with a sigh.

"Sorry, sorry."

Although the libero would never normally get away with that taunt, Daichi wasn't exactly in the mood to make him pay any time soon. Though his next receive from Noya's side of the net was pretty great, even by his standards.

"Suga! Over here!"

"Right!"

Daichi found himself watching his grey-haired friend in particular as the ball was launched around the other side of the net. He seemed different today – well, it would probably be cause for great concern if he didn't – but still…it was unnerving.

The way he was acting now…unusually bold and snappish when he wanted…

It wasn't a side of him Daichi liked seeing, even if the setter was only doing it to protect his friends. People like Hinata and Tanaka and himself were the people who were supposed to stand out or take charge. Suga was the type of person who helped others like that, shining in his own way, and this impulsive attitude of throwing himself out there just wasn't normal.

He went back to that morning, eyes on Suga's face as his toss sailed for Asahi.

* * *

_"__Thanks for meeting me early, Daichi. I appreciate you coming all this way to walk from home with me."_

_"__That's fine. It isn't too far. Was there something you wanted from me?"_

_"__No…" Suga shook his head and smiled. "Just didn't feel like walking alone."_

_"__Okay then."_

_The two walked on in silence, quite content to move without speaking. There really wasn't much to be said. Though…_

_"__Suga?"_

_"__Mm?" The setter turned his head._

_"__Something happen recently? You aren't quite yourself, somehow…"_

_Suga looked surprised, then smiled again. "Something about that sentence isn't quite like you either, Daichi."_

_The captain frowned and folded his arms. "Don't evade the question."_

_"__That's more like you," replied Suga, though his smile had disappeared. "Don't try to be indirect. It's odd when you do it."_

_"__Then answer the question."_

_The setter raised his eyebrows in surprise._

_"__Oh, uh." Daichi looked forward. "That sounded ruder than I'd intended."_

_"__It's fine," replied Suga. "It's my own fault if I keep dodging. I just…I got a phone call this morning."_

_"__From who?" questioned Daichi, puzzled._

_His friend was quiet for a moment, fixated on the concrete path in front of them. His mouth was pressed into a pensive line. When he spoke, it was hesitant. Like he wasn't even sure of what he was talking about._

_"__My dad."_

_Daichi perked up in shock. "I-I thought you didn't have a dad."_

_"__Everyone has a dad, Daichi. Unless they just poofed into existence."_

_"__That's not what I meant… I mean, I thought you didn't know him."_

_"__I don't."_

_"__Then how did he get your number?"_

_Suga frowned, looking concerned. "I don't know. It was just the house phone, but his caller ID came up and everything."_

_Daichi shivered. Something felt ominous about this._

_"__It's possible he's remained in our phonebook this whole time, but…" Suga tilted his head back and forth uncertainly. "It's been ages."_

_Daichi found himself frowning as well. "What did he say?"_

_"__I didn't pick up," mumbled Suga. He was studying the ground again._

_"__Any reason?"_

_"__I… I didn't think it was a good idea. I don't know him in the slightest, and…he's done some bad things."_

_"'__Bad things'?" Daichi repeated. He grew immediately apprehensive. "What do you mean by that?"_

_There was no reply to this, riling him into halting right in the middle of the path._

_"__What do you mean 'bad things'?" he said again._

_Suga kept walking. "It's not important."_

_"__Suga!"_

_That tone caught him. It was the one no-one disobeyed, not even Noya. He stopped as well, a few steps ahead of his captain._

_"__Tell me," Daichi said obstinately. "What did he do?"_

_Suga made no attempt to move for the first few seconds. Then he turned, smiling awkwardly and rubbing his neck. "Ah, Captain! You never cut me any slack, do you?"_

_Daichi watched as his friend walked back up beside him and dropped the smile._

_"__He's been in jail since I was little," explained the setter. "I don't know exactly why, only that he abused his power in a position of police officer. He and his partner both got arrested."_

_Daichi's brow furrowed at this news. Suga had long claimed to know nothing about his missing father. Although he'd been reluctant to fully believe him, this was the first Daichi was hearing about the man._

_"__So you think he's been released?" he asked._

_Suga nodded. "I _know _he's been released."_

_Daichi cocked his head._

_"__He left a message," continued the teen in a murmur. His eyes were unfocused. "That's why I didn't want to walk alone today."_

_"__What did the message say?" asked Daichi, his worry mounting in his stomach like someone was slowly adding stones to the small mountain already making his feet drag. "What did he want?"_

_"__He said he's coming to get me," answered Suga. "And there's nothing anyone can do to stop him."_

* * *

And now, only half watching the volleyball soaring through the gym, Daichi knew the man spoke the truth.

He'd walked in with a gun, pointed it at their teacher and fired at several students.

He'd threatened them, shouted at them and swore like his life depended on it.

He'd come to take away his son, but he'd taken something else instead.

Their haven. Their gym. Their innocence.

And Daichi said 'instead', because there was no way on this earth or any other that he was letting that man walk out of this gym with a son he didn't nearly deserve.

And though he had stolen away the security of the gym, the captain was determined to take it back at any cost. He would keep everyone alive until then, keep everyone in line and with hope.

He would revive their sanctuary, even if he had to hold the roof on his back as the whole place fell down around his ears.

_There are thirteen others here, _Daichi said to himself. _Eleven are my teammates._

He dashed to the side as the ball flew towards the ground.

_BAM!_

His eyes were focused as his receive sent it flying right to the setter. He glanced to where Taro was sitting tensely and thought, _You are the enemy…_

Komatsu whistled quietly as Kuroo smashed the ball down on the other side of the net. Daichi narrowed his eyes at the man with the questionable motives.

_…__but who are you, dubious partner? Who are you, and which team do you play for?_

And so the game went on, with Daichi watching the players with the eyes of a captain.

* * *

**So there you go~! Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading, again! Your support means a lot, so cheers for following, fave-ing and reviewing.**

**By the way, WHO ELSE IS HYPED FOR THE NEW SEASON OF HQ?! (Even though it's only out in October...)**

**See you soon!**

**\- Zakkie**


	6. Kenma Kozume

**Okay! Hello again! We're on to the Nekoma duo's chapters now! ! (This one's Toph's, but I'm handling Kuroo's next time. It's really long...)**

**But anyway, I hope you'll like this one! Okay, so did any of you know that according to Wikipedia, Tanaka's seiyuu (Yuu Hayashi) did the Japanese dub for Justin Bieber in the Justin Bieber movie? And Steven in the Japanese Steven Universe? HOW ODD! ! Anyways, on with the chapter. Please enjoy!**

**\- Zakuro**

* * *

**CHAPTER 6: KENMA KOZUME**

* * *

Kenma hadn't asked for this to happen.

This was meant to be an ordinary practice, even though it was with Karasuno and not his usual club. He and Kuroo were meant to join in, hit the ball a few times. Kuroo would probably tease the tall middle blocker and then they'd go back to Tokyo. Simple. Kenma liked simple. What was going on right now, it wasn't simple. Kenma could tell straight away that the men were trouble. One of them seemed borderline insane, ordering his son, the ashen haired setter, to come with him.

To be honest, Taro scared Kenma. The shy second year was in an unfamiliar situation, one that couldn't be avoided at all. Despite the blank look on his face, Kenma's stomach was churning. Just because he usually didn't show any emotions didn't mean he didn't have any. He stared over at Kuroo, taking in the captain's narrowed eyes and clenched fists. He was angry. Scared, yes, but also very, very angry.

Kenma had been with Kuroo for what felt like forever. It had always been the two of them together. He'd never felt like his friendship with Kuroo had ever been under threat in any way.

Not until today, with two men each holding a gun at the Karasuno volleyball club members, which right now included Kuroo and himself. A wave of panic suddenly rushed through Kenma and his knees felt weak. Sure, he wasn't exactly a very strong person but never before had the setter felt so powerless. He couldn't do anything against a gun. Nobody could.

How could Karasuno focus on volleyball right now? His heart was beating wildly in his chest, a frantic pulse that scared him. Surely a heartbeat this fast was impossible. He felt sweat dripping down his back, sticking his T-shirt to his skin. He shifted, eyes watching the volleyball soar over the net. He moved, turning in a circle to tap the ball upwards. He wasn't even thinking like he usually did during a game. His body moved, dragging his mind along with it.

He was scared.

He was _really _scared.

This wasn't a video game, he didn't have unlimited lives. A squeeze of a finger and he could be dead, life cut short before it had even really begun.

"Kenma, pay attention," Kuroo called, flashing him a grin. Kenma stared blankly at him.

_Kuroo… He's smiling… Why?_

Kuroo's smile slid as Kenma frowned at him, not angrily but more absently.

"Hey Kenma, you okay?" Kuroo asked. Kenma shrugged, turning back to the game.

"Pay attention," he said flatly, a flash of relief flying through him as Kuroo pouted. He couldn't show his spiky haired friend how scared he was. He just had to act indifferent, like always.

"Do you want to take a break?" the captain of Karasuno - Sawamura - asked, holding the ball tightly in his hands. Kenma had seen his eyes scanning the gym, constantly watching, looking out for his team.

_A captain through and through, _Kenma thought as he shook his head. He'd keep playing. Kuroo wouldn't let it go if he sat out for a second time.

"Kenma," Hinata called. "Wanna try what Kageyama and I do?"

"Dumbass, that's our move." Kageyama came up behind the energetic first year to nudge him. "Don't go teaching our moves to the enemy."

"Kenma's not the enemy." Hinata pouted. Kenma didn't really care one way or the other. If he had it his way, he'd be at home under his quilt playing video games until the characters blurred together and his hands finally became too shaky to continue.

"We have to keep playing," Suga insisted from his side of the net. "Come on," he glanced over at his father who was peering at the door. "Before he realises we've stopped."

Sawamura served the ball, sending it soaring towards the scary second year, Tanaka. Kenma watched it fly past, eyes tracing its path but his mind made no move to analyse it. Everything was just a blank.

Was this true fear? Was his mind slowly going to shut down until all he could focus on was the black barrel of the gun?

"It's hot," he muttered to himself as he tapped the ball again, no effort behind the move. Why bother? They didn't have to focus on the game, everything would be okay just as long as they kept playing.

_Will it really be okay?_

"I'm hungry," the Karasuno libero whined but his voice was faint in Kenma's ears.

All the setter knew was that he suddenly felt angry. He clenched his fists and felt the prick of pain as his nails dug into his palms.

Kenma didn't get angry, not really. He was used to not feeling much. Everything was toned down with him. Don't draw attention to yourself, just sit back and watch. Why feel something when it just influences your actions?

It wasn't like he was sad or depressed or felt nothing. He just didn't want to make a big deal out of small things.

But this, this was a big thing. There was an unconscious man on the floor. Everyone was panicking and safety was a glimmer in the distance, barely even there. People were getting tense, the gym felt hot and crowded.

"Kenma," Kuroo snapped as the ball flew past him, a quick ball from the combined efforts of Kageyama and Shoyo. Kenma heard it hit the ground with a dull thud. So even Kuroo was getting snappy.

Things weren't going to end well for anyone here.

"Kuroo, let it go," Sawamura called as he bent to scoop up the ball. Kenma felt a flash of gratitude run through him though the Karasuno captain probably didn't even notice.

"What's wrong, Kenma?" Kuroo pressed, holding up a hand to halt the game.

"We have to keep playing," Shoyo hissed, his eyes flying over to Taro and Komatsu by the door.

"Kenma." Kuroo wouldn't let it couldn't he just let it go?

"It's really nothing," he muttered, eyes locking onto the floor.

"Keep playing!" Taro barked, raising the gun. Daichi sprang into action, serving the ball without even asking who's turn it was. Taro turned away.

"Can I swap with Yamaguchi?" Kenma whispered under his breath, not intending to be heard. It was just something to say. That's what he wanted right now. Sure his prime objective was to get home, collapse on his bed and mope, but right now his objective was to stop playing volleyball.

Why did they have to play? What was the point?

"Moving targets are harder to hit," he said to himself. "So why?"

Was it because if they were moving, then there was a chance the police could hit them? But Taro didn't know that the police knew the location of everyone in the gym. Maybe Komatsu had suggested it since he now had the phone. Kenma's keen eyes had seen the device skid across the floor. He hadn't made any comment though. They were safe. That was all that mattered.

This situation was impossible to think in. It wasn't a game of volleyball or a tricky sheet of science homework. It was a life or death situation and he was on the losing side.

_Not how I wanted to spend my day off, _he thought with a sigh, sending the ball in the direction of the wing spiker with the shaved head. He'd gotten along with Yamamoto, which wasn't surprising now that Kenma thought about it. Those two were very similar.

"Bring it!" Shoyo called, hitting the ground after he had jumped without having been in contact with the ball. Kageyama had sent it to the ace – Azumane – instead.

"Kageyama," Shoyo whined, running up to the setter only to get pushed away. Kenma smiled slightly at this. The moment he did so, he prayed that Kuroo hadn't seen him. His captain would probably jump all over him and ask why he was smiling.

"I'm getting tired," Azumane admitted as Kuroo sent the ball rocketing past him.

"When can we stop?" Nishinoya wondered, chasing after said ball. "I mean, it's really hot in here."

"May we stop?" Sugawara yelled. Kenma flinched. Why was he yelling? Did he think that Taro wouldn't shoot him just because the setter was his son?

"No," Taro snapped back. "You keep playing!"

"Why?" Shoyo whined under his breath. "This is stupid."

"Never thought you'd want to stop playing volleyball," Kuroo teased.

"What if we just jogged around the gym?" Sawamura said steadily. Leave it to the captain to come up with an even worse solution. Kenma hated running and jogging. Kuroo said he ran like a giraffe.

"Don't run in a single line and you can." Komatsu shrugged.

_But why?_

The teams split up, jogging around.

"We could take it in turns to run around," Sugawara suggested. There was no objection from the direction of the two men so Kenma found himself sitting down with Shoyo, Kageyama, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima whilst the others jogged around the gym.

Kenma tucked his legs into his body, staring over his knees at the others jogging, sometimes pausing briefly to say something to one another. His stomach growled, quietly to his relief. Shoyo was whispering to Kageyama beside him and the other two first years were whispering too.

Kenma felt that familiar pang of loneliness, brushing it aside however when he noticed Kuroo staring at him, his usual smirk gone. It was obvious Kuroo was worried about him. Kenma decided to tune into Shoyo and Kageyama's conversation instead.

"Do you think the police have got ninjas?" Shoyo was saying excitedly. "If we don't have the FBI then surely we have ninjas."

"Dumbass," Kageyama said again. Kenma was beginning to think that Sawamura was serious and Kageyama couldn't use any insult but that.

"But the ninjas could sneak in and save us without being seen," Shoyo went on. From what Kenma could see, Kageyama was not convinced.

"We just have to wait," Kenma found himself muttering. "I'm sure the police will work something out."

"I wonder if we _are _on the news." Nishinoya suddenly flopped down beside them. No one seemed to have heard Kenma speak. "Because that'd be really cool."

"Noya." The tall ace was hovering over him, looking worried. "It's not cool at all."

"Oi, why are some of you stopping?" Taro yelled. "More of you need to run!"

Kenma was considering whether he could be bothered getting up and running but Tsukishima and Yamaguchi answered that problem by clambering to their feet and ambling off around the gym.

"I wanna go home," Kenma mumbled, hugging his knees closer. Yet again, nobody heard him. He found himself not caring however. It just felt more comforting to voice it out loud.

"Kenma!" Kuroo called from where he was prancing around near the net. "Come join me!" The captain was smiling but Kenma noticed his narrowed eyes and tense posture. Kuroo wasn't just looking for a friendly conversation and some fun annoying him.

Kenma trotted over, footsteps loud in his ears as he felt eyes following him. He shivered, his body tensing up with every step.

Who was looking at him?

"Kenma." Kuroo reached out to grab Kenma's arm when he got closer to him. Kenma flinched, drawing away and beginning to walk, Kuroo catching up in seconds with his long stride.

"What is it, Kuroo?" Kenma whispered. He felt the fear building up in him again and he forced it down. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing really," Kuroo said flatly. "Don't give me that look, Kenma."

Kenma, who had been glaring at Kuroo, raised his eyebrows.

"Then why did you call me over?"

"Because I'm worried about you," Kuroo said earnestly.

"Why?"

"Because you're not acting like yourself," he retorted.

"So?" Kenma half hissed, half muttered. "I'm supposed to act normal in a situation like this? Be more worried about Shoyo." He gestured to the shaking first year.

"But I'm worried about you."

"Well, you shouldn't be!" Kenma yelled. He broke off immediately when he saw Kuroo's face.

"See?" Kuroo smiled sadly. "You never yell, Kenma."

"Sorry," he whispered. "It's just…they keep staring at me. And it's so stuffy in here. and I keep feeling like I can't breathe." Kenma wasn't usually an open person with anyone. Kuroo was the exception.

"Sorry," Kuroo said as they jogged around, Kenma annoyed at the burning feeling in his legs. "I pressured you into coming to their training."

"Yeah." Kenma brushed his hair out of his face. He knew better than to contradict Kuroo in moments like this.

"I think I'd rather play volleyball." Shoyo popped up behind Kenma, hair as wild as ever. Kenma had to smile. Shoyo never failed to make him do so. It was a strange relationship but Kenma had suffered through worse. Being with Shoyo was…nice.

"Oi shorty, I'm talking to Kenma here." Kuroo was apparently jealous of their relationship however and he and Shoyo sometimes butted heads.

"Well, play volleyball if you want to," Sawamura commented from where he and Sugawara were…doing star jumps. It didn't really count as running but Taro hadn't commented on it so it was probably okay.

"Kageyama!" Shoyo took off, running to leap at the first year setter. "Let's practice our quick attack."

Kenma scanned the gym, ignoring Kuroo at his side. He saw Tsukishima and Yamaguchi wandering around aimlessly, not even talking. Kenma would never really understand what made Kuroo want to rile up the tall blond but he'd given up on understanding a lot of Kuroo's actions a long time ago.

He saw the two loud and flamboyant second years hanging around Azumane, Nishinoya actually climbing up his body. Shoyo was laughing at this whilst Kageyama hovered a little way away, holding a volleyball. Sawamura and Sugawara were still off to the side doing star jumps and Kenma noticed Kuroo watching with interest.

The two people that Kenma was concerned about the most however, were Taro and Komatsu. The latter was fiddling with his phone, not even looking up at the group of volleyballers. But Taro was tracking their movements with his eyes, his gun in his hand. Kenma's eyes flew to the the barrel and he found himself unable to draw them away.

He still couldn't process the fact that he was constantly seconds away from death. That he could literally die in the next minute.

_No, don't think about that._

"I'm going to sit down," Kenma told Kuroo, wandering to a bench to perch on the edge of it. He just couldn't relax. Any second he might need to dive to the ground. He watched Kuroo wander over to tease Sawamura and Sugawara, mimicking them until the Karasuno captain had to be held back by his vice.

Kenma glanced over at the pile of phones, picking his out instantly. It was the perfect device, full of games he'd randomly downloaded to play whenever he was bored. He had about thirty apps on there and still had ten unplayed. If there was ever a perfect time to play a game it was now.

But there was no way he was going to risk his life over playing a game. He'd just have to stay bored. He looked down at his feet, shuffling them occasionally.

When he looked back up, everyone was playing volleyball again. If he had to guess why, it was probably Shoyo's pestering despite the middle blocker being one of the teens to suggest stopping.

Come to think of it, how had Kenma not noticed? From the looks of it, the game was getting intense. Shoyo had just tried a quick spike only for Sawamura to receive it and send it flying to Sugawara.

"Kenma, glad to see you're back with us!" Kuroo called, turning at the wrong time so that the ball collided with his chest.

"Kuroo," Nishinoya whined. "Now we're three points behind."

"Right," was all Kenma said in reply, too disoriented to say anything else. He crossed his toes in his shoes, hoping he wouldn't be asked to join in. Luckily, Kuroo just turned back to the game in time to receive a scolding from Nishinoya.

Kenma tapped his feet aimlessly as he watched the game continue onwards. The sides were both pretty evenly matched though it seemed that Kuroo's side seemed to have a slight advantage with both Shoyo and Kageyama along with Nishinoya and Asahi.

When Kenma let his eyes wander over to the doors of the gym, he saw Komatsu watching with interest, his eyes following the ball. He even seemed excited when Shoyo smacked the ball down with force. Kenma frowned, leaning forward so he could see the man better. He'd be lying if he said that observing people bored him. And Komatsu was…interesting.

Here was this man, threatening kids and knocking out teachers but at the same time, he didn't seem that bad. He calmed Taro down whenever it seemed like Sugawara's dad wanted to shoot somebody and had basically saved the Karasuno teacher from being killed.

Kenma just couldn't figure out the guy. Being so observant all the time, he could usually read people very well. It creeped some people out but to Kenma, it was calming. Being so nervous around people meant he needed to know about them.

To be comfortable around people, Kenma needed to have known them for a while. Sometimes even the people on his team scared him. He often just hung around Kuroo in times like this.

Shoyo - funnily enough - was an exception to this. Kuroo had been surprised by the strength of their friendship after having only known each other for about two weeks. The captain had assumed that because Shoyo was so noisy and over the top, Kenma would shy away from him.

But Shoyo was kind and genuine and Kenma liked being around him. The sleepover with Shoyo had been a surprise, an event that Kenma usually reserved specially for Kuroo.

But Shoyo had insisted and Kenma felt it would be awkward to say no. Needless to say, Kuroo had texted him constantly until Kenma had no choice but to shut his phone off. It had been a nice night despite that.

* * *

"_Hey, Kenma," Shoyo piped up from his bed. They had just turned the lights out and were trying to go to sleep but it seemed that sleep was the last thing on the orange haired first year's mind._

"_Yes, Shoyo?" Kenma replied politely, just wanting to sleep because he was tired and Kuroo was coming down on the early train. _

"_Do you want to come to our morning practice tomorrow? I'm sure Daichi wouldn't mind."_

_Kenma groaned inwardly, wondering what would be the easiest way to tell Shoyo that he didn't particularly want to. He wanted to go home and finish off his English essay and then hopefully play some video games whilst avoiding Kuroo. Volleyball was just something he did and only when necessary or when Kuroo pestered him. _

"_Um, I think my mum wanted me home early," Kenma said hesitantly. _

"_Kuroo's coming to get you though right?" Shoyo went on as though Kenma hadn't spoken. This was a personal trait that bothered Kenma despite how fond he was of Shoyo._

"_Yes." Kenma sighed. "He insisted."_

"_He'll want to play then!" Shoyo exclaimed. "Please, Kenma."_

_Kenma rolled over on the mattress, tucking himself deeper into the blankets._

"_We'll see what Kuroo says," Kenma decided, yawning loudly to indicate that he wanted to sleep. Being with Shoyo was tiring. The boy had more energy than Kuroo and Bokuto after three cans of soft drink each._

"_Yay!" Shoyo cheered, falling silent after his exclamation. _

_Kenma lay awake for a while, staring up into darkness. Hopefully Kuroo would understand that Kenma didn't want to stay and make up some excuse so that they could go home. Eventually, Kenma fell asleep happy, content that he would go home tomorrow and have a lazy day off, occasionally rousing himself to do homework._

_Unfortunately Kuroo was in an annoying mood and agreed to training, probably to spite Kenma since he seemed jealous of the fact that he had slept over with Shoyo._

_Kenma had finally agreed to tag along, believing that nothing worse than laps of dives around the gym and being hit in the head with the ball could happen._

_But how very wrong was he._

* * *

If Kenma was a crueler person, he'd probably be chewing Kuroo and Shoyo out for getting him into this mess. But in all honesty, it wasn't their fault. How were they to know that two men with guns would march into the gym?

Shoyo loved volleyball. And he loved playing with his friends. Kuroo was the same. It was just a simple need, to have fun together. He couldn't get angry at the two of them when that was all they had wanted.

Kenma wasn't one to seek revenge or feel anger. It was a harsh emotion and turned good people into bad ones. That was probably what had affected Taro. Hatred and revenge. The need to be superior and cause people to suffer.

Kenma could analyse Taro all he liked but he couldn't solve the problem at hand. Words couldn't get through to this man and knowing how he worked would do nothing except maybe offend Sugawara. Action was the only way to end what was going on. And it was the only thing not happening.

They couldn't take action. The threat of death hung heavy in the air, the elephant in the room.

_Are we all going to die?_

"Kenma, come play!" Kuroo yelled before the setter's thought process could continue. "You zoned out again."

Kenma's head shot up so that his eyes met Kuroo's. Kuroo was frowning slightly, tossing the ball up into the air before catching it lightly. The game had halted so that the Nekoma captain could bother Kenma.

"Fine." Kenma complied, well aware that the longer the game was paused, the more angry Taro would grow.

Kenma padded over to Kuroo, watching as Sugawara stepped out to be referee. The team had changed since Kenma had last looked, his new team consisting of Kuroo, Nishinoya, Daichi, Yamaguchi and of course, Sugawara who was now passing by him.

The Karasuno setter gave him a warm smile. Kenma nodded slightly. He was well aware that Suga was just as observant as him and rather smart. He had a good game sense that came from not only playing for a long time but also observing quite a few games.

Kenma watched as Shoyo served, the ball scraping the top of the net and slowing its speed so that Kenma could easily send it over to Kuroo who slammed it down before the second year with the buzz cut could get to it.

"Are we starting a new game now that the players have switched?" Sugawara asked.

"Why not?" Kuroo smirked.

"You're only saying that because we were ahead," Shoyo protested but he was drowned out by people agreeing with Sugawara. Kenma didn't voice his opinion since he didn't care one way or another.

The game went on, the teams yet again equally matched. The game was somewhat silent however, the thudding of the balls and the occasional remark the only noises heard. It was obvious that the volleyball game was doing little to draw everyone's minds off the bigger picture.

Whenever Kenma had the chance, he would look behind his back at Taro and Komatsu. The police had gone silent outside and the two men seemed very bored. Shouldn't they be on edge? If their plan failed (and obviously, Kenma hoped it would) then they were doomed.

What were they planning to do anyway? There was no way they could get out of this situation. Not without serious consequences.

_What if they take someone else with them? _Kenma thought suddenly. _If they threaten to shoot Sugawara, the police might not believe them. But if they take another person, one who isn't related…_

"Ooof!" Kenma recoiled as the ball smacked into the ground directly in front of him, bouncing up to whack his chin. He'd gotten lost in his thoughts again.

"Kenma!" Shoyo was obviously the person who had hit the ball. "I'm so sorry!"

"No, it was my fault," Kenma said quietly, rubbing his chin. "I wasn't paying attention."

"My spikes are a little off today." Shoyo went on. He probably hadn't heard Kenma speak. "Ah, I'm so sorry."

"I'm fine," Kenma said a little louder. He watched Shoyo's face break into a smile.

"Just be a little more careful Hinata," Sawamura said, though his tone was fond. Kenma found himself remembering something Kuroo had said.

"_The captain and vice captain of Karasuno, they're different from what I imagined."_

"…_Okay."_

"_Aren't you going to ask me why?"_

"_Hmm…why?"_

"_Well, they're almost like parents on the team. They care greatly for their younger teammates and keep them in check, but it's a different sort of relationship."_

"_Okay."_

"_Come on, they're mum and dad. How are you not seeing this?!"_

Kenma could definitely see it now. Kuroo had a different relationship with Nekoma. It was friendly, joking. Sawamura and Sugawara cared deeply for their teammates and were practically raising them.

Kenma supposed that it was funny in a way. At least he could see why Kuroo found it hilarious. But then again, Kuroo had a tendency to blow things out of proportion.

"Kenma, stop zoning out," Kuroo scolded as Shoyo prepared to serve. "Or you'll get hit again."

"Yeah." Kenma nodded, changing his stance. Shoyo still looked nervous and it was obviously affecting how he was playing. He had to be ready to dodge if the ball came at him. He didn't like getting hurt and Kuroo would probably tease him again.

Shoyo hit the ball wildly and it careened towards Kuroo, who received it rather awkwardly. It was soon sent flying back over the net. The game went on, just as quiet as before. Even Kageyama did not scold Shoyo every time he mucked up - which was often.

Kenma tried his hardest not to zone out again. He poured every ounce of his will into focusing on the path of the ball and analysing the game and the players like he always did. He couldn't stop his eyes from darting over to the two men by the door but he was able to draw them away instead of starting a new train of thought and getting distracted again.

Eventually Suga and Kageyama swapped, to the disappointment of the first year setter. Shoyo seemed upset because now their quick attack wouldn't be quite as effective. Kuroo relished in this and scored their team three points in a row.

This was when everything went downhill.

Shoyo, obviously frustrated by his failed attempts to score, leapt wildly, hands flailing in an attempt to connect with the ball.

"Hinata!" Sugawara cried. The ball went flying off the court and towards the door.

There was a loud smacking sound and the ball…

…collided with Taro's face!

* * *

The gym went quiet. The ball hit the floor with a thud and rolled over to rest right beside Kenma. Everyone part of his body was screaming at him to move but he couldn't. He was frozen in place.

"Father," Sugawara whispered, shattering the silence that had fallen over the gym.

_Move! You have to move! _But he couldn't. All he could do was stare along with everyone else at the enraged Taro. What was he going to do?

Everything was fading around Kenma. There was a loud buzzing in his ears and his head hurt.

Taro raised his gun, pointing it at the group, specifically at one person.

_He's going to shoot Shoyo!_

The gun swung around suddenly and Kenma found himself staring right at it.

_He's going to shoot _me_!_

**BANG!**

Something exploded near Kenma's feet and he felt a stinging pain in his legs. Reality seemed to blur around him.

Had he been shot?! What was going on? All he could feel was the pain in his legs. Was he dying?

He felt his legs give way and his knees hit the floor, jarring painfully. Blunt sensation swam through him as he hit the ground side on, vision whirling. He could hear screaming, a loud shout. But he couldn't focus on them, couldn't work out what was going on.

His fingers tingled but when he tried to move them, nothing happened. Had he really been shot?

"_Kenma!"_

That was his name right? Someone was calling his name.

"_Oh my God! Is he okay?!"_

Were they talking about him? What was going on. Everything was going numb. Was he dying?

"_Kenma! Kenma, wake up!"_

Was he sleeping? Had he fallen asleep? Was this all some horrible dream? Would he wake up at Shoyo's and go home with Kuroo on the train?

"_Kenma! Kenma focus on me!"_

Focus on who? Who was talking? What was going on? He tried moving yet again and yet again, couldn't. He tried to open his eyes only to realise that they already were open, staring upwards but not seeing anything.

"_Everyone, shut up!"_

Who was that? Who was yelling? This had to be a dream. A scary terrible nightmare. Where was Kuroo? He wanted Kuroo.

"_He's still breathing."_

Were they talking about him?

"Kuroo," he whispered, trying to focus on the blurry colours in front of his eyes. Why was everyone so close? A memory reached him…

"_Kuroo…what do you think it's like to die?"_

"_What brought that on, Kenma?"_

"_Hmmm...nothing."_

"_Well don't think about it. You're not dying for a long time."_

But he was dying! He was dying right now! His body ached and everything was fading. He could barely understand what everyone was saying and he couldn't see anything. Surely this meant he was dying.

"_He can't hear you."_

Hear who? Who was talking? Where was Kuroo?

"Kuroo," he whispered again. If he was going to die, then he wanted his best friend with him, no matter how annoying he was.

He was scared. He didn't want to die.

"_Kenma, I'm here. You need to calm down. You're okay."_

Kuroo? Here? He was okay? He wasn't dying?

"You're going to be okay, Kenma." Kuroo's face came into focus, pale and worried.

"Kuroo…" He reached his hand up, finding himself able to move again and grabbed Kuroo's. He squeezed weakly and Kuroo squeezed back.

_Am I really okay?_

* * *

**Heyo it's Toph Hitsugaya! I love Kenma so much so I hope I did him justice. Thank you everyone who left reviews of favourited and followed. You guys rock!**


	7. Tetsuro Kuroo

**Here we go guys! The outcome of Kenma's predicament, through Kuroo's eyes! This chapter's mine, posted solely by me 'cause Toph's away on holiday and left me all alone... *cries***

**Anyways, I hope you'll get as hyped up reading this as I did writing it! I was super-nervous about writing with Kuroo at first, but it ended up being really long. Though I don't think it's a case of quantity over quality, only you readers can decide that! Enjoy!**

**(There's a slight warning on this chapter, since it dabbles at some dark stuff, but it's nothing too bad. Just warning you in case anyone is super-sensitive to these kinds of things.)**

**\- Zakuro**

* * *

**CHAPTER 7: TETSURO KUROO**

* * *

"_Kuroo…what do you think it's like to die?"_

Kenma had asked him that once. He'd replied by telling him it didn't matter, since they weren't doing it any time soon. After all, worrying about stuff like that was for old people.

Yet here they were, a bunch of kids and a teacher, _playing volleyball_ to try and distract themselves from the fact that any one of them could be standing on the edge of their life at that very moment. Far too early to be concerned about death, but things happen and people react.

Kuroo could have believed his heart had stopped beating in that moment where it seemed Kenma had slipped off the edge with the push of a metal pellet.

But as one of his hands gripped the second year's tightly, the other was searching his red track pants for any sign of blood. There was none. The worst pain Kenma would have felt was the material of the volleyball at his feet whipping his body as it burst.

The setter had panicked and collapsed. To be honest, Kuroo couldn't blame him. He didn't think anyone else would either. All of them had been just as terrified as the next teen over when that ball had planted itself on Taro's nose. Though none of them had expected it would be Kenma to take the fall.

Naturally they had looked to Hinata – he had made the almighty blunder after all. Kuroo tried to find the anger to turn on him, but it just wasn't there. He needed someone to blame for his friend's hurt, but that sporadic first year wasn't the one who deserved it.

Hinata was currently on his knees on the other side of the net, staring blankly at the commotion he'd created like a glassy-eyed doll. His face was unsettlingly expressionless.

_Not him. _Kuroo's blood began to boil and he felt hot rage seething under his skin as Taro lowered the gun and flicked his head to the side.

_You._

"Attention! Police! Has anyone been harmed?!"

"He hasn't been hit," breathed Daichi as he sat back from wildly inspecting Kenma's clothing. Looking to the door, he shouted, "He hasn't! He's fine!"

"Oh, thank God…!" Yamaguchi looked close to tears, though he'd looked like that for around eighty percent of the day. He sat back and took a deep breath as Tsukishima jogged up behind him, along with most of his mock team.

"Very good! Please, remain calm whilst we work out a solution…"

_Fat lot of good waiting's done us this far, _thought Kuroo to himself with a sneer. _Hurry up and get us the hell out of here!_

"Is he okay?!" exclaimed the baldy spiker as he dashed up, nearly crashing into Kuroo in his haste to find out.

"He's fine, just…" Daichi flapped his hands around his head for lack of a better word. "Give him space!"

Suga, who had frantically sprinted over to them from the side of the court, began grabbing people's legs and shoving them away. "You heard the captain!" he shouted agitatedly. "Get back!"

Kuroo blinked, lifting his eyes from Kenma for a moment. Karasuno's third year setter seemed to be stressing out more than anyone. His face was pale with worry and his voice was quivering.

"S-Suga." It was their ace, Asahi, who grabbed his shoulder and looked him steadily in the eye. "Perhaps it's best if you come away as well."

Kuroo didn't know him to be particularly forceful, but something about the look in the ace's eyes was undeniably concrete.

Suga looked at him for a minute, conflict scrawled across his features. He bowed his head, teeth clenched, and raised a hand. "Help me up," he whispered.

As everyone began to back away, Kuroo could turn his attention back to Kenma.

His friend's eyelids were fluttering like he was having trouble staying conscious. His entire body was shaking, trembling so hard it was enough to scare the Nekoma captain. His breathing was shallow and chesty and the grip he had on Kuroo's hand was weak.

"Kenma…" the captain muttered as he felt another slight squeeze on his hand.

Now it was only himself, Daichi and Yamaguchi sitting with the setter, though no-one else had strayed too far. It was like an impromptu bubble of protection. The inner layer consisted of the two captains and a first year who was too jittery to stand up and back off.

However, Hinata was still kneeling on the other side of the court.

Daichi spoke up. "Kuroo, does Kenm—"

"_Taro, you damn bastard!_"

There was a collective shudder from the group as they immediately tried to discern and incapacitate whoever had made the riling remark.

But it wasn't one of them.

"What the hell do you think this is? A firing range?" Komatsu was shouting. "Spurting random gunfire whenever you feel like it in here is going to get us in the slammer for the rest of our miserable lives!"

"He—" Taro glanced wildly between his partner and the cluster of students.

"_He_ is just a high schooler! You don't do things like that to _high schoolers!_ You trying to jack up your own son's head or what?" Komatsu had forced the man back to the wall. "Crap like this is the reason you find slits all over kid's wrists nowadays! 'Cause guys like you mess with their heads, jackass!"

_Because you're so much better, _thought Kuroo contemptuously.

As if he'd heard that remark, Komatsu pointed to himself and continued, "I've done a lot of things I wish I hadn't. But none of them are 'go to jail for putting a bullet in a kid's skull'. If you want that, go right ahead. You asshole. But I ain't firing at any of those punks. Know why?"

Kuroo suppressed a shudder as the man produced his pistol from his pocket and pointed it towards his forehead.

"Because I'd sooner blow my own brains out than go back to that crappy ditch of a jail with some poor kid's blood on my hands." He then moved the gun back to its makeshift holster and tucked his fists away with it. "But I won't. Because those kids don't need to see something like that."

Taro seemed just as shocked with Komatsu's outburst as everyone else had been. He was staring at his partner with his eyes stretched so wide they looked like dinner plates.

"Now put your damn gun away," the tufty-haired gunman growled.

Taro glowered at him for a moment, but tucked his pistol away nonetheless. "You'd do well to remember which of us the superior officer here is."

Komatsu offered him a scathing look. "You haven't been anyone's superior in seven years. We're the same level of scum."

Kuroo stared knives across at the pair. They _were _scum.

Turning his attention back to Kenma, he began to notice that a little colour had started to seep back into his cheeks. His breathing was getting easier as well. That was a good sign.

He opened his mouth to say something to the setter, but closed it again and looked quickly at Daichi. The other captain was rubbing his face, taking advantage of the brief moment of calm.

"Ku…" It was barely there, but it _was. _"Kuroo…"

"Yes?"

"Kuroo."

He just sighed at this. It was so like Kenma, even now not knowing what to say to completely express himself.

"K-Kozume?" Yamaguchi leant over a little, equal measures of concern and relief crossing his face at once. "Are you al-alright?"

Kenma moved his head a little, frowning. He looked back at the first year. "I…think so…"

Kuroo bent his head over, pushing his hair off his forehead. He set himself into a quick smirk as he felt Kenma's piercing gaze land on him. "Glad to see you're back with us," he said.

The setter blinked slowly and the smirk vanished in favour of a more solemn expression.

"What is it? Do you want water or something?"

Kenma shook his head as he tried to prop himself up on his elbows. Daichi, from where he knelt at the boy's feet, offered a hand in help. Kenma took it reluctantly and found himself sitting upright with the captain's help.

"How do you feel? You didn't hit your head when you fell, did you?" It was Asahi asking, from just behind the captain. Suga was beside him, watching with a serious face.

"Just…shaky." Kenma patted his thighs. "I don't think I'm hurt."

Kuroo cocked his head as Kenma stared at him again. "What?"

"You looked scared," the setter murmured. "Your face is pale."

Kuroo pressed his mouth into a line as he frowned. Kenma began rubbing his cheeks as if trying to get a feel of how he looked when his captain replied, "I could say the same about you. But all jokes aside, I don't think any of us can say we weren't at least alarmed by what just happened."

Daichi nodded his agreement, followed by a quiet mumbling from the rest of the group.

"Speaking of," started a voice from somewhere behind Kuroo's back. It sounded like the libero. "Where's Shoyo?"

"Shortie? He was…" Kuroo trailed off as he glanced back towards the net.

The ginger was still slumped there, but the direction of his head had changed. He was looking at the group now, though it seemed he was staring straight through them.

"Shoyo!" Yes, it was the libero. "Are you alright?"

Hinata visibly started at the sound of his name. "Y-yes?"

"So, you _are _alright?" repeated Tanaka, sounding puzzled.

"I…" Hinata looked from them, to the gunmen, to the middle of nowhere. He appeared dazed, but not frightened. "I'm…"

The group watched as he shook his head of wild hair roughly and stood up. He ducked under the net and walked over to stop just beside Kenma. The students fanned out around him as he drew close.

Daichi offered him a shadow of a smile. "Uh, Hina—"

"I'm sorry!" The captain jumped as his younger teammate threw himself forward in a bow that almost folded his small body in half. "I'm sorry I was so stupid, Kenma. Everyone."

"Hinata, you're not stupid, just a little reck—" Asahi began, but the little blocker cut him off.

"I'm sorry!" he repeated, still bent double. "I'm so, so sorry."

Everyone was silent. Hinata just stood there, shaking.

Before Daichi could nab him, Tanaka strode forward and smacked the first year on the back.

"Are you crying?" he asked with a laugh, rubbing the slapped shoulder roughly. "Don't be daft, Hinata. No one can blame you for the ball flying about so randomly."

"I'm… I'm not crying," the boy mumbled back. "And still…"

"Yeah. 'Course not," replied Tanaka affectionately as he proceeded to ruffle Hinata's hair with a fist.

Tanaka and the others couldn't see it, but Kenma and Kuroo's positions provided quite a clear view of the ginger first year's face. He really wasn't crying. He didn't even look remotely scared or upset.

He looked angry.

And not just at himself, either. Kuroo could see it written all over the look in his eyes, his stiff movements and how his fists curled and uncurled at his sides. He felt like flat-out hatred was an awfully strong phrase to apply to someone like Hinata, but that was all that came to mind.

He wondered if Daichi had seen it too, but Hinata straightened up before he could look over at the other captain.

"I'm really not." Hinata fixed them all with a disturbingly placid look. Upon receiving no reply, he knelt down so he was face to face with Kenma. He repeated his apology and the setter dismissed it with a wave and an incomprehensible mumble.

Whilst this happened, Kuroo shifted back to the gunmen. They seemed to be focused on each other and hadn't ordered them to resume their game yet. Assuming they inevitably would, how long could the team keep it up? They were tiring out as it was, and the stress was starting to affect their stamina. Even those players with seemingly boundless reserves of energy would give out at some point.

And what of the teacher, Takeda? There was no telling when he would wake up. Upon looking back at him, it didn't appear to be any time soon. But then again, it could be any moment. Getting him assistance was another pressing matter in the situation.

Eventually they would need more food. And their bottles wouldn't last them forever. The gym had a bathroom somewhere they could possibly get water from, but they still needed to eat. Furthermore, what would happen if they were stuck in until nightfall? What then?

They couldn't stay here forever. That was obvious. Something would have to happen eventually. But what would that be, and who would instigate it? _Who would survive it?_

"Asahi? The time?" asked Daichi, looking over his shoulder.

The ace pulled down his sock. "Two-twenty."

"We've been trapped in here for a while, then," reflected Kageyama moodily. "They have to be close to getting us out now. Right?"

"It's hard to say, isn't it?" put in Kuroo. "From where I stand, it looks like we've reached an absolute stalemate."

He found himself on the end of a few questioning gazes, so he began to explain himself further. "It's not like it wasn't before, but now we've all hit a blockade. All that's left to do is wait and see which side makes its move first. After all, none of us can stay here forever. Someone's going to have to do something at some point. The ones who come out victorious all depends on which side acts, and what they decide to do. Don't you think, Kenma?"

Kenma looked mildly resentful that his captain had placed the attention on him, but answered with a nod nonetheless. "Though, you're forgetting something…"

"What's that?"

"There are more than two sides," he said. His voice was quiet, but certain. "The situation is more than black and white."

Kuroo watched his teammate squirm uncomfortably in the silence that followed. Kageyama broke it.

"He's right," the setter said, with an intense thoughtfulness. "There are Taro and Komatsu on one side and the police on the other. But there's also _us. _If those two are black and the police are white, we're grey. To go even further, Taro and Komatsu aren't even the same shade of black."

Kenma nodded. "It's not…a simple game."

Silence, again.

There was a shuffle from somewhere behind Kuroo's back.

"If… If that's right, who's to say _our _side can't make the first move?"

It was Nishinoya. Of course it was Nishinoya.

Asahi stared at him with a look of horror. "Because we don't want to get shot, maybe?"

"That's not what I mean!" the libero retorted. "I've said it before and I'll say it again; we should do this ourselves. You can't expect us to just sit here the whole time and wait for the others to do something!"

"Yes," said Daichi, folding his arms. "I can expect that and I do. In fact, it's an order. I'm _telling _you not to act."

Kuroo turned his head back to Nishinoya to observe his reaction to the instructions. He had expected him to be displeased with the decision, but he hadn't expected him to look so pissed off about it.

"Why?" the teen growled. His voice had a throaty quality now, like a dog. "Is it because you're scared?"

Daichi took a moment to reply. His eyes flashed angrily. "I am scared. At least I'm not so much of a coward that I can admit that."

"What did you say?!" Nishinoya launched himself forward, shoving Kuroo's head out of the way in an attempt to leap at his captain.

"Hey!" he grumbled. He swiped out to try and grab the little second year, but he was a second too late.

"N-N-N-Nishinoya!" Asahi stumbled forward, catching the libero before he could lash out at Daichi. "Calm down!"

"Let-me_-go!_" The libero thrashed, sending Yamaguchi skittering back to avoid his flailing kicks.

"Noya!"

"Hey, pipe down!"

Daichi rose calmly to his feet, locking his eyes with the libero. His angered expression was enough to force Nishinoya to stillness.

"Calm down and be quiet," he said ominously before turning away. "We are not taking action."

"You're only saying that 'cause you don't have the strength to stand up for us here," snarled Noya, frustrated. Kuroo saw in the way he slumped in Asahi's arms that he didn't truly mean it.

Daichi whipped back around to him, fists clenched tight. "I'm saying it because I don't want us to have to walk out of here carrying your dead body!"

Nishinoya recoiled - most of the group did. In particular, there was nudge at Kuroo's side as he felt Kenma slide back towards him.

"And because I don't want any of them to join you!" Daichi gestured at the group surrounding them. "We're not risking our lives for something that could well be achieved through much safer methods. _I'm _not risking your lives for that."

Noya slid out of Asahi's grasp, landing heavily. He looked down, defeated.

Daichi sighed, folding his arms and looking at the unruly libero. "Look, I didn't ask to be put in charge here. I wasn't expecting something like this to ever happen. But as captain, leading you is something I've chosen to do. And I'm going to keep doing it, regardless. All I ask is that you listen to me, because I don't want to see my friends killed."

Nobody said anything for a while. Even Taro and Komatsu were quiet, both still at odds due to Komatsu's passionate outpouring.

Sugawara was giving his trainers an intense examination, looking like he was already far past his breaking point. Tsukishima had become a human shield for Yamaguchi once more, and Kuroo was sure he was struggling to choke back sobs behind the tall blond's legs.

Kageyama was glaring as per normal, but at nothing in particular. Tanaka was just standing there looking partly solemn and partly confused, like he'd accidentally walked in on a funeral when looking for algebra class.

Eventually, Kuroo knew something had to be said.

He gave Kenma a quick glance as he left his side, rising to his feet and stepping forward to tap Daichi's shoulder. "That was dramatic," he commented in a light half-mutter. "And yet again, I find myself agreeing with you. It must be a captain thing, then. Which reminds me…I _am _also a captain. You don't need to act like you're the only one here with any responsibility."

Before anyone could react to this, the burst of static they'd all began to find themselves grateful for broke through the air.

"Kids! As a matter of importance, we'd like to further assess the condition of your teacher, Mr Ittetsu Takeda!"

Kuroo saw everyone share a mutual look of 'who wants to speak' before looking to their captors to ask permission. Komatsu gave a curt nod and Taro followed suit, though he tapped his gun against the bench menacingly. That intimidated the group to a mumbling blob.

"Well, like we said, he's unconscious." Kuroo decided that if no-one else spoke up, he would. He'd have to be careful about it, though. "He took a hit to the head with the butt of a pistol."

"Do you know the approximate time the injury was inflicted?"

Kuroo shot a questioning glance towards the group. All he got was a shrug from Tanaka.

"We aren't sure. It was just a while before you arrived," he called out cautiously.

"And you say you're treating the wound with instant cool packs?"

"As best we can," Kuroo replied.

They didn't hear the static loudspeaker for a few moments after that and assumed the officer who had been speaking must have gone to confer with the others about the best plan of action.

In the meantime, Kuroo turned his attention to the teacher. He was still lying on the ground by the wall, just on the other side of the net with Kageyama's jacket underneath his head.

"We need to get him to someone," murmured Suga, chewing his lip anxiously.

"We do," Kuroo agreed. "But I don't think there's any easy way to do that."

"What if we just asked?" put in Hinata suddenly. "Like, insisted?"

"That doesn't sound like it would ever work," grunted Kageyama. "You think they'd just say 'oh sure, let the hostages wander out of the gym for a reason that has no benefit to us'? They wouldn't let us just take him out of here."

"Not all of us would have to go," reasoned Hinata. He seemed to think he was on to something. "Maybe just two, and we'd come straight back."

"Why would they trust us?" Tsukishima asked with a tone of uncaring dubiousness.

The ginger first year looked at the floor, upset about having his idea shut down so quickly.

"They might not trust _us,_" began Asahi slowly. "But they _do _trust that we aren't going to abandon each other, right?"

"What are you getting at, Asahi?" Daichi straightened and the ace looked flustered for a moment.

"I mean, i-if only two of us left, they'd still have everyone else," he explained hastily. "It's not like the two outside could really run anywhere without risking the others paying for it."

"Are you saying we should use each other as insurance now?" questioned Kageyama, folding his arms.

"Great," muttered Nishinoya. "First a package and now we're junk in a pawnbroker's shop."

Ignoring the remarks, Daichi replied to Asahi. "You could be right. There is always a chance they'd let us take Mr Takeda outside if we promised we'd come right back."

"And by promise, you mean we have to come back or someone inside's going to suffer for it," muttered Tsukishima.

"It's not ideal, but it could work." Kuroo found himself agreeing again. "But how do we tell _them _that?"

"Probably like this," answered Suga. He looked pretty much fed up with the whole situation. He turned around and called out, "Hey! You two!"

"Suga!" Daichi looked alarmed. "Sh-show some tact!"

_I bet that wasn't something he thought he'd have to say, _Kuroo remarked to himself.

"What do you want?" grumbled Taro.

"We want to take our teacher outside. He needs an ambulance," stated Suga calmly.

Taro gave terse laugh. "Sure, sure! Just grab him and walk right out of the damn gym!"

Suga glowered. "It would only take two of us. And we'd come straight back."

"Yeah, right." Taro folded his arms and sat back again.

Kuroo clenched his teeth, getting riled up all over again. He hated how someone like that could suddenly boss everyone else around just because he had a gun in his hand. And what was a gun anyway? Just a hunk of metal. Things like that didn't make people worthy of respect.

But it was a hunk of metal that could kill, so they were forced to obey.

"We'd have to come straight back," ground out Daichi. "We'd have no choice in the matter. You'd still have everyone else."

"Why wouldn't you just turn tail as soon as you got out there? Why not just leave everyone else behind?" asked Komatsu monotonously. "What's to stop you?"

"We're friends!" exclaimed Hinata, screwing his eyes shut as he did so. "We won't just abandon each other!"

"Your families are out there, right?" retorted Komatsu. "Are you telling me you'd rather put your parents through the stress of worrying to death about you just so you could stay stuck in here with your classmates?"

"Teammates." Kuroo heard Nishinoya correct the man hotly. He looked up. "And for what it's worth, I for one won't be leaving this gym until everyone else walks out with me!"

"Then you're a fool." Komatsu snorted.

"Maybe I am, but at least I'm not as worthless as you." Thankfully, the libero had the sense to say that part quietly.

Kuroo frowned and sighed through his nose. Everyone was at their wit's end now, tense, irritated, tired and stressed. Even Nishinoya, who had been trying harder than anyone to keep up their morale, had begun to get fed up with the whole situation. It gave the whole room a sense of repressed frustration which hadn't quite been present beforehand.

"Just let us take our teacher out of here," pleaded Suga wearily. "It's not like it's doing you any good keeping him here."

Taro and Komatsu ignored him, the latter pulling out his phone again and tapping away.

The sheer insolence of the pair definitely rubbed Kuroo the wrong way, though a good percentage more of it was aimed at Taro. At least the other one gave them opportunities to breathe without pointing a gun at them.

"Listen," he said, pushing out of the group and stepping in front of them. "It won't be any hindrance to you. If anything, it's a weight off all of our shoulders. Just let two people out, they'll only have to go a little way outside the door and right back in. And if you really want extra insurance, put your gun to one of our heads and I can guarantee whoever you let out there won't be going too far at all."

"Kuroo!" hissed Daichi. "What are you trying to do?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm getting your teacher out of here."

It seemed like Karasuno's captain had more to add, but he was cut off.

"So that's what you're suggesting?" asked Komatsu without lifting his eyes from the screen in front of him. "That two of you drag your teacher outside, leave him there for the police and then come right back in?"

"Yes." Kuroo didn't think Komatsu would be hard to convince. It was Suga's father he was concerned about. He was to be proven tight in the man's next words.

"It seems like a fair enough deal to me," he muttered. "Taro?"

"No. They can't go. Just leave the teacher where he is."

"Come on, show a little empathy." Komatsu flipped a coy grin, though Kuroo didn't sense much emotion behind it. "He's just one man, same as you. Why don't you try doing something nice for once?"

"'Nice' doesn't get you anywhere in this world!"

"But it does keep you away from circumstances like this." Komatsu flicked off his phone and sat back. "So you ought to give it a shot someday."

Taro gave Komatsu a supremely annoyed look which the man had no problem ignoring.

"Take him. You three - the tall ones. Step out." Komatsu pointed at three particular students, one of whom was Kuroo.

"Komatsu…" Taro scowled and watched his friend stand up.

"I told you I could make this work," whispered Kuroo to Daichi, who sighed concededly.

Two people inched their way out of the cluster to stand beside the Nekoma captain, both shifting their weight uneasily. One was Asahi, who tucked his hands behind his back and looked quickly back at the fragile bubble of security he'd been forced to leave.

"It's been too long since I've seen that grumpy face, Tsukishima," was what Kuroo said to the second.

"The two of you, grab your teacher." Komatsu pointed as he spoke. "And you - the mouthy one with the hair - you come up here."

Kuroo resented that, but walked forward nonetheless. He had no idea what the man wanted from him, and it made him more than a little anxious.

"You know…" Komatsu gave another lacking-in-conviction smile and stepped up to Kuroo when the third year refused to come any closer. "You seem like a nice enough kid. What's your name?"

"Kuroo. Tetsuro Kuroo." The captain felt his pulse growing steadily faster as he got the feeling the man was about to make a move he wasn't going to like.

"Well, Kuroo, you're not just one of the players here, are you?" The man spoke calmly, disinterestedly. "You don't attend this school, do you?"

Kuroo shook his head slowly. "I don't."

"I'm going to say that quiet one with the faded dye goes to school with you?"

"He does."

Behind them, Asahi and Tsukishima were working on figuring out the best way to transport Takeda from spot to spot. They had seemingly decided Asahi would take Takeda's top half and Tsukishima the lower. They were now trying to decide on the safest way to achieve this.

"With skills like yours, it's obvious you're also part of your own school's team," continued Komatsu. He slid his gun out of his pocket and slapped it into his palm. Kuroo could feel the perspiration gathering on his forehead as a faint realisation began to piece itself together. "And I'd be willing to bet you're a captain, too."

"I've mentioned it a few times," replied Kuroo, forcing himself to speak in a tone above a mumble. The longer he talked to the man with the gun, the more he felt he needed to back away. _You're an observant type_, he thought slowly. _Not as good as Kenma, but you're good enough to be confident in how you read people._

"No, it's the way you act that tells me you're that sort of person who would be captain." Komatsu smacked the gun into his hand again. "You aren't afraid to front the group, to represent them or to speak for them. Though it's an admirable trait, you will unfortunately end up taking a lot of their failures under your name as well."

One final smack and the gun was trained on Kuroo's forehead.

"Yes. Taking the fall for the good of your team is something every leader should know how to do." Komatsu didn't even try to smile this time. He had the dullest brown eyes and up close the Nekoma blocker could see the shadows underneath. "Don't you think, Captain Kuroo?"

Too alarmed to reply, the third year stood in a surprised stupor thinking, _I really should have seen it coming._

"Kuroo!"

He wasn't sure if he'd ever heard Kenma speak in a tone of despair that loudly before. It wasn't something he liked hearing from him.

Before he knew it, his hands were in the air. The gun scarcely brushed his skin, yet he felt a pressure a million times greater tingling and digging its way into his skull. All he knew was that he had to get the thing away from his body or he'd go nuts from the sensation.

"Don't look so worried," said Komatsu. "I won't shoot unless you decide to do something stupid. And even then, it'll only be your foot. So I'd advise you listen to me and don't mess around if you ever want to stand on a volleyball court again."

"He won't kill you, but I can't say the same about me," growled Taro from the bench. "You'd better behave yourself."

"Not-Not a problem," answered Kuroo with a nearly mechanical forcefulness.

Komatsu grabbed the captain's right arm and forced it behind his back with a painful jerk. Kuroo found himself held in front of the man with the gun pointed right at the side of his forehead. "Sorry about this, kid. But I'm not going back to prison."

Tsukishima and Asahi had succeeded in lifting Takeda. It wasn't much of an effort for them, being that the teacher didn't have that much to brag about in terms of size. They hesitated in coming any closer, both gawking at the unfolding scene.

"To the door," said Komatsu. "Slowly. And Taro?"

"What." It was clearly a statement and not a question, Kuroo decided through his haze of nerves.

"Try not to kill anyone whilst I talk to the police."

Taro cussed back at him, rolling his eyes.

"Come along, children," said Komatsu with a beckon of the gun in his hand. "What shall I call you two?"

Asahi swallowed nervously as he and Tsukishima drew to a halt. Takeda was tightly in their grasps, though they were both being very cautious not to hurt him. The light was refracting in a strange way off the blocker's cracked glasses lens.

Komatsu raised his eyebrows. "Don't look so scared. It's not like I can kill you with your own names."

_No. That's what the gun's for._

"A…Asahi…" The ace's frightened glance crossed Kuroo's, but the captain couldn't do much but stare back. "Asahi A-zumane."

"Tsukishima." That was all he said.

"Shy?" prompted Komatsu with a smirk. "Or don't you have a first name?"

"It-It's Kei," stammered Asahi when the first year didn't answer. "Kei Tsukishima."

"Kei, huh?" Komatsu nodded at him. "Well, I guess it's rude to ask all your names and not introduce myself. I'm Haruo Komatsu, not like that's something important to know. Sorry about all this, by the way."

Nobody replied to him. Tsukishima's face looked totally expressionless, so much so that Kuroo would have worried his brain had forcefully shut itself down if he weren't already trying frantically to avoid his own mental blue screen of death.

"Okay, let's get your teacher out of here," said Komatsu after a tense silence. "Quick march, chil—er, Tsukishima and Azumane."

Asahi nodded at Tsukishima and the two started slowly towards the door with Takeda secured in their arms. The ace had his firmly locked under the teacher's shoulders, whilst Tsukishima had a tight underarm grip on his legs. They seemed to have thought it through, despite looking awfully reluctant to touch the unconscious man.

Kuroo, on the other hand, found himself in an even less desirable position. He took a hesitant step forward as Komatsu pushed his twisted arm painfully. He apologised again, but the Nekoma captain refused to accept it. _Just get away from me._

Out of his peripherals, he could barely make out the group of hostages tracking him as he was led across the gym at gunpoint. He could just see Daichi (in the front of the cluster, as usual). Kenma's head was peering out from just behind the captain's shoulder.

None of them said anything, but Kuroo could feel both anxiety and pleading reassurance in the atmosphere.

They stopped just in front of the gym's heavy doors, where the sudden pressure of everything happening felt like a surprise punch in the ear. How did this all happen again? What the hell was going on?

_Get away from me!_

The feeling of the gun on his forehead was unbearable, like an intense static sensation digging at him and seeping dread through his body. The fuzzy, almost tingling repulsion travelled down him in waves and it took all his control to refrain from twisting and shoving and lashing out – anything he could do to get the gun off his temple.

_Get away! I hate it!_

"Hey! Police! Get over here and listen to me for a second!" Komatsu was shouting through the door. "We have a proposal!"

Kuroo picked up a muffled hubbub from outside. He almost tripped as he was pushed around right in front of the door rather forcefully.

_Get off me._

"This is the police." The voice which was normally on the megaphone was very close to the door now. "What is your proposal?"

"Now, don't get too excited. We haven't solved the whole problem yet," said Komatsu in a smooth tone that was completely unbefitting of his dark expression. "Kuroo, tell them your plan – and your current position."

Kuroo balled his fists. He wasn't ready to deal with this rubbish. It was supposed to be a pupil free day. It was supposed to be a rest day. He didn't appreciate raving gunmen wandering in and ruining his day off. He'd stayed up late texting Kenma last night (not realising the ceaseless texts had forced him into turning his phone off completely) and then woken up early to pick him up for the train.

This was not a day he was obliged to put up with this kind of treatment, and now that his already limited energy supply was dwindling, he was even less inclined to play along.

But there was a _freaking pistol _aimed at his forehead, and there wasn't much he could do to combat that.

"We've got Mr Takeda here," the captain stated through clenched teeth. "He's still unconscious and needs help, so we're going to bring him out to you. None of us are allowed to leave, so the two students carrying him out will need to come straight back."

"Understood," said the officer.

"That's not all," prompted Komatsu. "Tell them."

_I'm getting to that, bastard! _Kuroo continued, his fists beginning to shake from being clenched so tightly. "If Azumane and Tsukishima are not immediately returned to the gym, I will be shot. There is a gun currently at my head. And I'm willing to take a guess and say that if they still aren't back here after I get shot, someone else will take a hit."

"Correct," confirmed Komatsu. "The Kuroo kid wins the million. So everyone out there, just move away from the door and we'll let the teacher out."

"Understood. We are backing away now. Open the door at any point and bring out the teacher. We will not fire."

"Alright." Komatsu released his grip on Kuroo's arm, which was a mild relief. He reached around the tall third year and grabbed the door handle. "Here we go."

_Bam!_

The door collided with the inner wall rather loudly and Kuroo was stunned to a complete blank by the scene outside.

Chaos greeted him in the form of flashing lights and a sudden escalation of noise. He barely registered Komatsu slipping behind his back to safety as the rush of pure light and sound left him momentarily paralysed. Hours stuck inside the gym had seen everyone adjust to stuffy air and near-silence, so the abrupt blast of the outside world was a shock to the system about equal to taking a bucket of ice water right in the face.

_And the people._

Police were running everywhere, stationed all around the gym and there were even cars parked in places Kuroo didn't think you could get a car into. The lights on the vehicles were flashing and there were barricades up preventing anyone from getting any closer than the edge of the dusty courtyard in front of the gym. He could see some people talking to the police in different places and assumed from how close they had been allowed that they were parents.

_I wonder if my…_ He pushed the thought away. It wasn't the time to be thinking about things like that.

There was a camera crew pressing against the barrier and to the far left, where the oval was, an almighty surge of voices indicated where people like other parents and students and faculty (and what seemed like the rest of the entire Miyagi prefecture) had been forced to wait.

The scene was positively infuriating. They were mere steps away from freedom, yet the chains tying them to the gym only went as far as a couple of metres outside before they found themselves yanked right back into the building that seemed to be tumbling around them from the inside out.

_Right… _Kuroo thought through a buzz of confusion. _It's like we're chained in here, chained to the foundations of this place and we have no way of cutting our way to freedom._

"Quiet! QUIET!" The officer on the megaphone could be seen for the first time. He was stocky but not overweight and had a square-ish face topped with grey hair. "Everyone, calm down!"

After a moment of the officer shouting and his teammates scrambling about and trying to implement his orders, the area gradually fell into a form of quiet that was thrumming with apprehensive anticipation.

Kuroo staggered a little as Komatsu pulled him backwards to allow Asahi and Tsukishima to carry Takeda outside. The ace cast him a backwards glance as he inched forward. His face was creased with fear and beaded with sweat but he still nodded reassuringly.

"Be…" Kuroo realised he was speaking a little lower than he thought and adjusted his volume. "Be careful."

"We will."

It was over in seconds. Down the steps, onto the footpath, lay down the teacher and walk away. Asahi and Tsukishima crossed the threshold between the gym and the world in seconds, then came right back towards the building.

Komatsu had his hand on the door, ready to slam it shut as soon as they returned when a guttural yell shattered the quiet like the raucous caw of a bird through the desert.

"_Wait!"_

Kuroo didn't recognise the voice. _Is it someone's dad, perhaps?_

Across the courtyard, behind the barricades, the captain could just make out a pulsating tangle of limbs in police blue. Whoever had called out was putting up one hell of a fight to get over the fence. He was causing quite a stir, with the smattering of people all looking his way.

"Let me go, _dammit!"_

Though Kuroo might not have recognised the voice, it looked like Asahi did. He looked like his face was trying to laugh and crumple at the same time, leaving him with a twitchy confused expression.

Tsukishima seemed alarmingly unfazed by it all, though that might have been a sign his mind had given up and walked out on him.

It looked like something out of Dragon Ball, when the shouting man shoved all the police off his back. Like he'd blasted them all back with some kind of superpower. Kuroo would later decide the police had all received a rapid-fire dose of unexpected whacks with his backpack.

He vaulted the barricade, veering sharply out of the way of the chief officer's swiping grasp and sprinting forwards with his arms in the air and a backpack swinging wildly in his hands.

"Don't come any closer!" ordered Komatsu as he skidded to a halt about a metre away from Takeda and the two students. "I will shoot!"

With those words, Kuroo felt his stomach lurch and his heart rocket into overdrive. He felt panic closing in around his lungs like the spikes of a fox trap, crushing at his core in a sensation he hadn't felt before and didn't want to ever feel again.

This was mortal terror.

The bolting man halted with his hands still exposed submissively. He carefully removed his cap, revealing a shock of dyed blond hair slipping loose of his headband left, right and centre.

"I brought pork buns," said Keishin Ukai, placing his bag on the ground and unzipping it slowly.

"C-coach…!" Asahi was overjoyed for a moment, then his expression turned frightened as he flicked his attention to Komatsu.

Kuroo was a little preoccupied with the gun at his forehead, feeling the excruciating sensation running up and down his body again. He clearly remembered thinking, _Please do not let my death be over a bag of pork buns._

Everything else was lost in a torrent of disorderly and panicky impulses and next thing he knew he was inside with the two Karasuno players and a paper bag of pork buns, staring blankly at the gym door.

There was a final shout from Ukai, over the loudspeaker everyone would later find out he had shamelessly snatched out of the officer's hands.

"Don't make a ruckus!" the coach was yelling. "And then eat a proper meal when you go home!"

Though the speaker was static and muffled, Kuroo was sure the man's voice cracked on the last word.

Komatsu stuffed his gun away and clapped his hands once, his face mild. "Everything went better than expected," he commented, walking towards Taro. "Take the food, go back to your friends."

There was a disorientating shift in the air around Kuroo's head as he felt the gun being moved away from his skin. The clawing pressure was gone all of a sudden, and his body felt dizzyingly light.

"Let's go," murmured Asahi, his hand clutching the bag of pork buns so tightly that paper looked about ready to tear. "I'm…I'm sure everyone will be glad to have these."

Kuroo walked behind them numbly as they proceeded across the gym single file, shaken and relieved and exhausted all at once. The group were sitting on the ground cross-legged again, waiting apprehensively for their return.

"Was that Coach Ukai?" asked Kageyama upon their drawing near. "What's it look like out there? How many police were there? Did-Did you see any of our parents?"

"Hold on, Kageyama. Let them catch their breath first," put in Suga. He shuffled to the side to let them sit comfortably within the imaginary safety of the cluster. When both Asahi and Tsukishima collapsed gratefully, Kuroo received a questioning look. "Don't you want to sit?"

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," he replied with an explanatory shrug. "It's back there, right?"

"Huh? Yes. The one on the far right." Suga's eyes made a quick trip from the door to the front of the gym. "But take someone with you, we don't want—"

"Relax." Kuroo cut him off with a wave and a brief smirk. "I'll be fine."

He stepped away from the group, catching Kenma's eye. The setter gave him an odd look. _Is that…concern? _He almost laughed. _I must really look terrible then._

"Going to the bathroom!" he called out, hoping Taro and Komatsu had heard so he wouldn't have to repeat himself. He assumed they had, since he got there without incident. His jittery, sweaty hands fumbled for purchase on the door handle, meaning that twisting it was more of an issue than it should have been.

He stepped inside and that was when his knees buckled, sending him reeling forward towards the bathroom sink. He grabbed the rim, sliding down against the wall. _Why are my legs shaking so hard? It's over now…_

He was on the ground for a minute before he realised that someone would come looking for him if he took too long. With a grunt, he heaved himself to his feet and leant over the sink.

Casting an eye at his reflection, he winced upon seeing how pale and clammy his skin was. His eyes were rimmed red, though he knew he hadn't been crying. Shadows hung above his cheeks and his hair was even more dishevelled than usual - not that anyone else would be able to tell. Taking a deep breath, he twisted the tap on with shaky hands and hesitantly splashed some water over his face. His entire body felt disjointed.

He jumped as the door creaked behind him and an inquisitive eye peered in from the gym. "Kuroo?"

The captain straightened, stepping away from the sink and watching Kenma step cautiously into the room. "Something tells me you didn't come to use the toilet," he muttered to the setter as he rubbed his hoodie sleeve over his wet face.

Kenma gave a hesitant nod and walked over. "I was worried," he mumbled. "When they pointed the gun at you, you looked scared."

"Well, it _was _a gun." Kuroo rubbed his neck. "There's no point trying to act brave; you'll get shot."

Kenma didn't say anything at first. He just walked closer and looked at the floor between their feet. Eventually, there was a quiet, "I was scared."

Kuroo maintained a solemn face as he stepped forward. He patted Kenma's shoulder as he passed and replied quietly. "Me too. But it's over now."

He knew as he said it that things were far from over. They were still trapped, locked in a cage that used to serve as a playground. He maintained his doubts about the students getting out any time soon.

He was proven right, too. The absolute stalemate drew on for hours, no-one attempting a joke or a game or a smile. This was as far as the festivities went. This was as far as their patience stretched. This was as far as anyone had planned, and there was no getting out.

The evening drew closer as their boredom rocketed, their conversations wandering in infuriating circles that always returned to, 'I want to go home' or 'what if we're stuck here forever' or 'I'm hungry'.

It was driving Kuroo positively _insane._

Soon it became clear that they weren't getting out before nightfall. That thought alone was enough to send everyone's morale spiralling down like a volleyball off an impenetrable block.

"I'm tired," whinged Hinata. "I wanna go home."

"We _know_," grated Kageyama. "You've _told _us."

"Shhh." Daichi cast his gaze around the gym again. Kuroo noted that he did this at nearly exact intervals.

"'Shhh' why?" grumbled Nishinoya. "It's not like there's anything else to do but talk!"

That got nothing of a response from the captain as he had moved on to his silent check that everyone in the group was still alive and functioning.

Suga sighed quietly and patted his friend's shoulder. "Calm down, Daichi. Everyone's tired by now and I think we're all just looking to do a little complaining." He paused. "You know, we could just blurt it all out now. Whatever's bothering you at this second. You never know, it might just help us all."

It seemed like a rather pathetic thing to do, but right now everyone was so bored that it felt like a good idea.

"For instance, I really wish we had a shower in this gym because I'm still all sweaty from playing volleyball," said Suga, shrugging. He muffled a yawn with his shoulder. "What about you, Daichi?"

Daichi thought for a second, looking rather resigned, before stating, "For one thing, I wish we weren't stuck in a gym with two men with guns."

"A little more specific."

"…It's really stuffy in here."

"Good job, Captain. What about you, Asahi?"

"W-Well…I kinda wish we had a board game to play or something."

"I see. Me too. Kageyama?"

"I want to practise again."

"Right…of course. Hinata? What's something that's bothering you?"

Hinata shifted forward, headbutting Kageyama's shoulder lightly and moaning, "_Ti-i-ired!"_

"Idiot. Get off."

"Valid point," replied Suga. "What time is it, Asahi?"

"Nine forty-five." Asahi pulled his sock back up.

"It… It is late." Yamaguchi wrung his hands twitchily. "Are we going to be here all night?"

"Hope not," muttered Tsukishima. He had his chin resting on his knees and was staring listlessly at the ground. He said 'hope', but that seemed like something everyone was running low on now.

_Ksssssht! _"Attention occupants of Karasuno High gymnasium!"

Everyone perked up, expecting some kind of final demand. They had to be getting out soon, right? _Right?!_

"Due to the late hour, we have decided to extend this operation until tomorrow. We are currently working through several negotiation tactics which will be immediately implemented as soon as light returns. Students, do not worry and try to rest."

And the speaker cut out for the final time that day. Kuroo felt an almost tangible shift in morale as everyone's hopes went from high to beyond low in an instant.

"No…" Tanaka stared at the door, slowly tilting his head. He was smiling, in a confused, hurt way that expressed just about everyone's disbelief. "That can't be right. Tell me they're kidding and they're gonna come in here and take those two by surprise any second now. Tell me this is a joke."

"They've gotta be bluffing," agreed Nishinoya. "We can't stay in here all night."

Asahi seemed to have shrunk back into himself, bringing his hands close to his chin and squeezing them together tightly. "I don't think they're joking. I think we're stuck for the night."

"N-no! We can't be!"

Yamaguchi drew a significant amount of attention with that shout. He'd been quiet for so long.

"We have to get out! I can't stay here!" he continued, looking panicked. "I don't want to stay here! I want to go home!"

"Y-Yamaguchi, calm down!" Suga twisted in his position to face the first year, but he was on the other side of Tsukishima. "It'll be okay!"

"It won't be okay! It'll never be okay!" Yamaguchi's face was pale, making his freckles stand out and the red around his eyes more evident. "I want to get out! I can't stay here! I don't want to be trapped forever!"

"Yama—"

"I don't want…" Yamaguchi hiccupped and his eyes flooded. "…to die here…"

"Tadashi, no one is going to die," said Daichi calmly, moving his hands up and down in an attempt to sooth him.

"You can't say that!" Yamaguchi nearly wailed. "You don't know that! None of us know that!"

Kageyama leaned forward and opened his mouth, but found himself pushed backwards by Suga before he could speak. That was probably for the best, unless the idea of playing volleyball through the night appealed to anyone except the black-haired setter.

"We don't know that!" Yamaguchi continued in a cracking pitch. His breathing was getting shallower and shallower as his panic mounted. "Nobody knows! We'll be here 'til we die! We'll be here _forever!"_

Kuroo sat back, watching through tired eyes. It took him a moment to register that they really needed to calm him down or they risked annoying Taro and Komatsu.

"I don't want to die here!" Tears had gathered in the boy's eyes by this point, any attempt to quieten his terror failing. "I don't—"

"Yamaguchi." Tsukishima lifted his head, staring at his friend. There was no expression to his face or his voice. _There's something about his eyes, though…_

"Shut up."

Yamaguchi paused, mouth half-open. He slowly pressed his lips back together, looking down so that his hair hung low over his forehead. "Sorry…Tsukki…"

He trembled quietly, making little sobbing noises. "Sorry, I…I - hic - I don't…"

"Okay," said Tsukishima, and that was the last thing he said that day.

Yamaguchi curled up into a ball and shuffled backwards, pressing his back to Tsukishima's side to continue his hitched crying. He didn't speak again either.

Neither did anyone else, for a while.

"Time, Asahi?" asked Daichi in a mumble.

"Uh… Ten-twenty."

The gymnasium was dark now, the lights not having been on to begin with. The flashing of red and blue and glaring yellow from outside cast a drowsy, surreal glow through the tinted windows.

Kuroo's gaze slid over the group, settling on Kenma. The pattern of red and blue illuminating the setter's cheeks was hypnotising, his hair tinted in strange hues of russet red and ocean green. The Nekoma captain found the longer he looked, the worse the dizzy tiredness behind his eyes became.

"Should we just…sleep?" suggested Asahi blandly.

Tanaka mumbled something unintelligible and nodded. Nishinoya translated whatever he had said into another form of gibberish and pointed at the ground.

Kageyama smothered a yawn and nodded. "This dumbass made himself comfortable."

By which he was of course referring to Hinata, who had snatched Kageyama's jacket after Takeda had been evacuated and was now using it as a makeshift blanket. When curled up as tight as he was, the little blocker somewhat unsurprisingly fit underneath it. His pillow was Tanaka's shin and he was already asleep.

"Then I guess it's goodnight," murmured Suga. His own eyes were half-lidded and he was leaning against Daichi.

"Goodnight," offered Asahi softly. He leaned against the pole of the volleyball net and blinked tiredly.

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi continued their silent vigil, pressed back to back.

Nishinoya and Tanaka gave a synchronised verbal keysmash and collapsed onto each other. Tanaka raised his hand in a weary wave and dropped it again.

Kageyama frowned and shuffled in a circle, apparently uncomfortable with the close proximity. He shoved Hinata further away until his head was on Tanaka's stomach and laid down on his back like a plank in the space he'd just cleared. "'Night."

Kenma bit his lip and slid away from the group. He stayed close to Kuroo, just positioned the captain between himself and the already snoring Tanaka.

Kuroo pressed a hand over his mouth to hide a yawn and pulled his hoodie off. He rolled it into a ball and shoved it in Kenma's general direction, knowing it would gradually and mysteriously gravitate to a spot under the setter's head at some point.

"Goodnight," he said lowly. Nobody replied.

He looked back at the group after a few minutes, dead tired but reluctant to sleep. "Daichi."

"Huh?" the captain turned his head, unable to shift around lest Suga's head slip off his shoulder.

"Don't stay up too late playing sentinel," Kuroo whispered. "It's not like they'll kill us in our sleep. We're the only thing they've got stopping the police from raiding the place. They're not going to give up that insurance."

Daichi looked at him for a moment longer, and finally said, "I understand. But still…"

Kuroo paused before sliding back onto his elbows and saying, "How do you expect to keep up your Mr Bravado act tomorrow if you're too tired to see straight?"

Daichi didn't reply and Kuroo assumed he was being ignored.

"It's not bravado," said Karasuno's captain after Kuroo had given up on a reply. "I'm just as scared as everyone else."

Kuroo remembered neither of them spoke after that, but he didn't remember falling asleep at all.

* * *

There was a crick in his neck the first time he woke up. He flexed as much as his tall body would allow without disturbing the others.

The floor was hard, uncomfortable and cold against his skin. He'd given his hoodie to Kenma, so he had nothing to use as a pillow himself. It was terrible, and he was longing for a mattress or a futon or a blanket or _anything, _but he was so tired right now it didn't even matter.

He fell asleep again.

* * *

He woke up again at an unknown time, but properly. His limbs were numb from the gym floor and his head was pounding faintly. He sat up silently, glanced around.

The police lights had been turned off, but the jarring white and yellow floodlights cast an unnatural glow into the gym. Everyone's faces were turned a strange shade by the light, but the fact there was visibility at all was a more prominent point.

He looked, just able to make out Taro and Komatsu at the end of the hall. There was no way of telling if they were awake or sleeping sitting up, however, and that got on Kuroo's nerves.

Closer to his position, the team had fallen asleep in a mosaic of bodies framed in black and white, as well as Kenma's casual red tracksuit pants.

Tanaka was snoring (softly, thankfully) and still had Hinata's head on his stomach, but now he had Nishinoya's legs wrapped around his arm as well. Kageyama was still doing his plank impression, only now his head had lolled to the side as his body went slack with sleep.

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi had given in as well, lying facing opposite directions and their feet pointing to different sides of the gym. Despite this, their heads were close and Kuroo's foggy brain couldn't help but find the bond kind of cute.

And yet, sitting amongst it all like a lonely pillar of support, was Daichi Sawamura.

Silently, Kuroo shuffled where he sat until his legs were folded underneath him and leaned forward. He planted his hand in an empty space between Noya's head and Suga's legs and eased his weight onto his arm. He leaned sideways to poke Daichi's back.

The captain started, then glanced backwards. Kuroo stared at him.

"Kuroo," whispered Daichi. It didn't take much light to make out the shadows under his eyes. "You're bent over sideways."

"I am. I'm very flexible, you see."

"You're going to crush Kageyama if you slip."

"Yes. I would."

"What do you want?"

Kuroo grunted as he pushed himself back to his original spot. "I could have sworn I'd told you not to stay up all night."

"Someone needs to keep watch," he replied. His eyes were stuck on Taro and Komatsu, through his persistent blinking.

"No, they don't." Kuroo folded his arms. "And even if they did, why would it have to be you?"

"Because." Daichi was staring so intently it was starting to get a little creepy. "It just does."

"_I-diot._" Kuroo lolled his head to one side. "You're wasting your energy. They aren't going to do anything. They're just as tired as the rest of us. In fact, the later you stay up, the more exhausted you'll be tomorrow, when you really _will _need to be watching them."

Daichi frowned into the darkness.

"Go to sleep, Daichi."

"I can't."

"Tch. Stubborn captain."

"'Stubborn captain' yourself," retorted Daichi. He held his tongue for a moment. "But, you're a stubborn captain with a point."

Kuroo grinned in the darkness. "Yup."

Daichi settled his head against Suga's, propping himself up against the setter so they were holding each other up. "So I'll listen to you for now."

"Good choice," replied Kuroo as he lay back down. "'Night, Sawamura."

He didn't get anything in return and took it as a good thing.

* * *

**Precious volleyball dorks. Little children.**

**Anyways, I hope you liked that! I worked really hard getting Kuroo into character, so I hope it was good. Leave us a review if you have time! They're much appreciated - like, super duper appreciated. (I'm not saying I almost cry _every time, _but like...)**

**And I saw some really cool HQ Cosplayers at a convention today! Their Kageyama and Hinata had crowns and capes and looked totally awesome! X'3**

**'Til next time! Zakkie out!**


	8. Kei Tsukishima

**Hey, hey, double hey everyone~! Having a nice day? (omg that assonance how cool)**

**This chapter is another of Toph's since I wouldn't be able to write Tsukki worth a stick. I hope you all enjoy this one! Also, _Avengers Age of Ultron hold me please ( ; v ; )_**

**Here you go! !**

* * *

**CHAPTER 8: KEI TSUKISHIMA**

* * *

When Tsukishima woke up, his back ached and his glasses were digging into his face, a crack running through one lens. He looked around, slightly confused before it all came flooding back.

The gym, the men demanding to take Suga, the gun, Takeda being knocked out.

Tsukishima glanced at the sleeping people around them, noting that no one seemed to be awake. It was just him and…Taro and Komatsu. A quick glance showed the two sitting up, leaning against the wall of the gym. Awake or asleep, Tsukishima couldn't tell.

Lights from outside bathed the gym in an eerie white glow, casting a shadow across everyone's faces and making the annoying Nekoma captain look ten times creepier. Tsukishima tried to move only to realise that Yamaguchi had an arm wrapped around his, holding him in place.

He sighed. He wasn't going to move now that Yamaguchi was calm and asleep. Tsukishima had been planning to go sit away from the group and just think for a bit but now he wasn't going anywhere.

The gym was silent apart from the raspy breathing of the sleeping teens. No one was extremely loud (thank goodness for that) but even the quietest sound was amplified in the gym. It was driving Tsukishima insane. What he wouldn't do for his headphones.

Tsukishima frowned, bored with just sitting. He wasn't really tired and he had nothing to do. Nothing except observe his boring teammates and the Nekoma duo. When the blond had begun to drop off, everyone was sitting or lying awkwardly, obviously reluctant to fall asleep with Taro and Komatsu in the gym. This barrier had been broken by sleep and everyone was sprawled around, sleeping as comfortably as they could when their mattress was the hard floor.

Daichi and Suga were basically snuggled up together, Daichi lying down with Suga's head on his chest. The captain's deep breaths lifted Suga's head up with ease. Suga had a pale hand clutching Daichi's shirt. Tsukishima smirked. The two were obviously very close.

Asahi was curled up tightly, decreasing his height by at least half. However, he was still as long as Nishinoya who was sprawled next to him, hair flopping over his face and a hand carelessly flung over Asahi's side. Tanaka was on Nishinoya's other side, legs resting over Nishinoya's and drooling all over the floor. Tsukishima shuddered.

Kozume and Kuroo were curled up closely, the younger tucked into the older's body. A picture of a mother cat with her kitten popped up into Tsukishima's head and he pushed it away, scowling because he did not think that the position was cute.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the infamous king and his loyal subject. Kageyama was lying as stiff as a board, eyes screwed shut but breathing deeply. Hinata was sprawled across him, forming the oddest looking 'X' Tsukishima had ever seen. The middle blocker was honestly surprised that Kageyama hadn't woken up. Hinata couldn't be that light.

Tsukishima suddenly felt the pressure around his arm fade and when he looked down, he noticed that Yamaguchi had rolled away, curling in on himself. He took this chance to get up and stretch, welcoming the burning feeling in his legs. He pried his glasses off his face, wincing at the feeling. He was a mess.

The entire past day was just a mess.

Wasn't Karasuno meant to be like any other typical boring school? Complete with boring schoolwork and boring clubs? This kind of thing, it happened in cheaply made dramas and the movies that everyone thought were amazing only because the actors were apparently hot.

It certainly wasn't meant to happen in the Karasuno volleyball gym. This was a place of learning and fun (for some people) and the rush of the game - no matter how much you tried to push it away.

Right now, here in the dark, Tsukishima felt very small. He wasn't used to this feeling. He was the tallest on the team, even beating Asahi by a few centimetres. He had an intimidating stare and his apathetic behaviour had the ability to unnerve people. Tsukishima wasn't necessarily the top dog but people knew not to bother him and he could hold his own when needs be.

He couldn't do that now. The guns changed everything. Tsukishima could not stop thinking about them. They were stuck in his mind.

_Like a bullet soon could be…_

"Crap," Tsukishima muttered, moving away from the group to sit down and shove his head between his knees. He was fine. He wasn't panicking. He was okay. He wasn't going to die. He just had to calm down and wait for everyone else to wake up. It was easier to keep calm in front of the others. He had more at stake then. When he was alone, he had no reason to keep the fear at bay.

Tsukishima lightly traced the gym floor, pressing down when the fear threatened to rise up in him again. He was so scared by what was happening. You'd be stupid not to be scared now. And Kei Tsukishima was not stupid.

However, it didn't mean he liked feeling scared. Fear turned him into something weak, a trembling kitten cowering from a fierce dog. He would turn white and his skin would grow cold and clammy. It was…

…_pathetic._

He wasn't meant to feel helpless in the gym. This was where he was a threat, this was where people grew nervous around him and saw him as an enemy. The gym was the one place where he could let loose a bit and be strong. He had presence here, was somebody to the team.

"_Bastards,"_ Tsukishima whispered, staring daggers into the darkness where he knew Taro and Komatsu were. How dare they do this! What gave them the right?

_What gave them the right to put a gun against Kuroo's head and threaten to shoot?_

That moment, when Komatsu had asked for the tallest people, had been the most terrifying moment in his life. He had wished to be short, prayed to suddenly match Hinata's height. Anything to stop him from being the one chosen to drag his unconscious teacher out the door and into freedom only to be pulled back into captivity.

The memory of holding the limp body in his hands and the cold metal pressed against Kuroo's head would haunt him forever.

* * *

"_You three - the tall ones. Step out," Komatsu ordered, pointing over at the group. Tsukishima gulped. Tall ones…that meant him. He cursed his height, wishing for once in his life that he was as short as some of the other members. He shot a glance at small Hinata - eyes cold - before looking away. _

_He stumbled forward, walking as slowly as he could over to Komatsu with Azumane and Kuroo at his side. He tensed his body to stop his hands from shaking and swallowed, ignoring Kuroo when he made some smartass comment about his grumpy face. _

"_The two of you, grab your teacher." Komatsu pointed at him and Azumane. "And you - the mouthy one with the hair - you come up here."_

_Tsukishima nearly froze. What did Komatsu want with the Nekoma captain? He focused on walking over to Takeda with Azumane, a silent conversation on how to carry the unconscious man starting up. _

_Tsukishima could dimly hear Kuroo and Komatsu talking but it seemed very far away, like he was underwater. The words were muted to his ears. _

_Eventually, Tsukishima bent and awkwardly hoisted up Takeda's legs whilst Asahi took his arms. They turned to look at Komatsu and that's when Tsukishima froze. Because there was actually no way this could be happening and yet it was and it wasn't okay and there was a gun pressed against Tetsuro Kuroo's head and he was seconds from death._

"_Kuroo!" There was a desperate cry from somewhere behind Tsukishima but he couldn't move. All he could do was stare hopelessly at Kuroo, feeling more helpless than he ever had in his life. _

_Komatsu was speaking again and again, Tsukishima just couldn't seem to make it out. The blood was roaring in his ears and he nearly dropped Takeda. _

_Dimly, he was aware of Komatsu saying he wouldn't shoot to kill. He should have felt relief._

_He felt sick._

"_Come along, children," said Komatsu, beckoning with his gun, drawing Tsukishima from his daze of emotions. "What shall I call you two?"_

_Asahi tensed beside him as they both stopped moving. They gripped Takeda tightly and Tsukishima dimly registered that his grip was probably a little too tight. He squinted, lights flickering through his cracked glasses._

_Komatsu raised his eyebrows at them and Tsukishima tried to meet his gaze. "Don't look so scared. It's not like I can kill you with your own names."_

_Well no, that was true. But the gun pressed against Kuroo's forehead could probably do the trick._

"_A…Asahi…" Azumane stuttered beside Tsukishima and the blond willed the ace to keep a firm grip on Takeda. "Asahi A-zumane."_

"_Tsukishima," he said shortly._

"_Shy?" Komatsu smirked at him. "Or don't you have a first name?"_

_Tsukishima just stared blankly at the man. He would not give him power over him. _

"_It-It's Kei," Azumane said quickly. "Kei Tsukishima." Tsukishima tried to feel anger over the fact that Asahi had given away his name._

_He felt none._

"_Kei, huh?" Komatsu nodded at him. "Well, I guess it's rude to ask all your names and not introduce myself. I'm Haruo Komatsu, not like that's something important to know. Sorry about all this, by the way."_

_No one said anything. Tsukishima could only stare, stare blankly at the man who was threatening them with death. The man who had the _nerve _to apologise like it would just make everything better._

"_Okay, let's get your teacher out of here," Komatsu said after a tense silence. "Quick march, chil—er, Tsukishima and Azumane."_

_Asahi nodded at Tsukishima and they began to walk, awkwardly and slowly. They had a tight grasp on Takeda but Tsukishima could think of a million other things he'd rather touch than his unconscious teacher._

_They continued their slow walk across the gym. Tsukishima could feel eyes boring into him and he resisted the urge to turn back and stare at his teammates. He just had to keep being himself, keep being Tsukishima. If he couldn't stay calm then who could?_

_They paused at the doors as if Komatsu was reluctant to surrender them, even for the briefest of moments._

Let us go!

_Tsukishima felt terrible, his skin looked whiter than before, a sickly pale colour that when made present on school days would have him back in bed before he could even say good morning._

I hate you!

"_Hey! Police! Get over here and listen to me for a second!" Komatsu eventually spoke, yelling through the door. "We have a proposal!"_

_Tsukishima heard a burst of noise from outside. Komatsu had been heard loud and clear._

"_This is the police." The voice was quieter than usual. Obviously the megaphone had been discarded for the close conversation. "What is your proposal?"_

"_Now, don't get too excited. We haven't solved the whole problem yet." Komatsu said it smoothly though his face was like thunder, something Tsukishima loathed for the noise it brought. "Kuroo, tell them your plan – and your current position."_

_Tsukishima stared at Komatsu. How cruel! How unnecessary and stupid and cruel! Sure Kuroo was an annoying prat but to make him go through this…it was hell. _

"_We've got Mr Takeda here," the Nekoma captain stated through clenched teeth. "He's still unconscious and needs help, so we're going to bring him out to you. None of us are allowed to leave, so the two students carrying him out will need to come straight back."_

"_Understood," replied the officer._

"_That's not all," Komatsu broke in. "Tell them."_

_Kuroo continued. Tsukishima noticed his shaking fists and willed the boy to keep calm, for everyone's sake. "If Azumane and Tsukishima are not immediately returned to the gym, I will be shot. There is a gun currently at my head. And I'm willing to take a guess and say that if they still aren't back here after I get shot, someone else will take a hit."_

"_Correct," Komatsu said as if Kuroo had just answered the toughest question in an elementary school class. "The Kuroo kid wins the million. So everyone out there, just move away from the door and we'll let the teacher out."_

"_Understood. We are backing away now. Open the door at any point and bring out the teacher. We will not fire."_

"_Alright." Komatsu released his grip on Kuroo's arm though the gun stayed right in place. There was a brief pause before the man pushed at the door. "Here we go."_

Bam!

_The force of the push caused the door to slam into the wall, causing a loud noise. Tsukishima held back a wince._

_Chaos greeted them._

_There was a barrage of light and noise, a different comparison to the heavy silence and dimness of the gym. Tsukishima watched through narrow eyes as Komatsu slipped behind Kuroo, using the Nekoma captain as a human shield. _

_They had been stuck in the gym for hours and freedom was so close but all Tsukishima wanted to do was turn around and go back inside, away from the noise and the light. Back where Komatsu didn't have a gun pressed to Kuroo's head and everyone was still pretending things were going to turn out okay._

_It was sick and stupid and Tsukishima hated himself for it._

_He looked around and then it hit him. The people!_

_There were police everywhere. And when Tsukishima said everywhere, he meant everywhere. It was a sea of uniforms, moving or standing still, police cars with flashing lights scattered here and there, the sirens thankfully muted. There were a group of onlookers talking with police, too close for normal spectators._

_Tsukishima felt a lump in his throat as he spotted a long wave of familiar blond hair amongst the crowd. His mum! It had to be! He was struck with the urge to call out to her but he couldn't even force his mouth open._

_He spotted a camera crew, trying to force their way closer to score a story. A wave of disgust rushed through Tsukishima and he resisted the urge to glare at them. How sick were they, trying to exploit the horror of this situation. _

_On the far left were the Karasuno oval was, the noise was ten times louder. That was obviously where bystanders who were not relatives were being forced to wait, drawn in by the fear and excitement of the event._

_It was weird, the contrast between the gym and the outside of it. A wave of noise and colour compared to the quiet gym, their slowly crumbling sanctuary that they were confined to. There was a bitter taste in the back of Tsukishima's throat and he tried to swallow it back._

"_Quiet! QUIET!" Tsukishima picked the man with the megaphone out of the crowd. He was stocky but in a solid, strong way and had a square-ish face and greying hair. "Everyone, calm down!"_

_It took a moment for the noise to die down and officers to stop running to and fro but eventually, an eerie silence fell over the gathering._

_Kuroo was pushed aside so that Tsukishima and Asahi could pass by, carrying their precious bundle._

"_Be…" Kuroo whispered and Tsukishima prepared himself for something inaudible before the captain raised his voice. "Be careful."_

"_We will."_

_The passing of Takeda to the outside probably only took a few seconds at most but to Tsukishima, it felt like centuries. He struggled to lift his feet. He was trying so hard not to let his hands shake or his legs give way._

_Takeda felt cold in his grip and he was all too glad to drop the man off and scurry back to the gym._

_He was hovering around the doorway, his few moments of freedom about to end when there came a loud cry. _

"_Wait!"_

_Tsukishima stared. He knew that voice from training, from yells to get better, complaints of how it was too damn early and scratchy renditions of bad folk songs when things were really slack about the gym._

_Across the courtyard, there was a scuffle between some officers and a bystander. A very familiar bystander._

"_Let me go, dammit!"_

_Tsukishima was struck with the bizarre urge to laugh but he held it in, forcing his face to stay blank. He noticed Kuroo staring at him as if analysing him and was glad he had. _

_There were some thumps as the man pushed the officers away, sending them toppling to the floor before he broke forward and made a mad dash across no-man's land._

You idiot! _Tsukishima cried in his mind. _You'll get us all killed! Yourself included!

_Keishin Ukai vaulted the barrier separating him from the officers, a backpack clutched in his grasp that swung wildly from momentum._

"_Don't come any closer!" ordered Komatsu as their coach stopped about a metre away from them. "I will shoot!"_

No!

_Ukai halted, raising his hands to show he meant no harm. Tsukishima swallowed. Surely this wasn't going to end well._

"_I brought pork buns," said their coach, placing the bag on the ground slowly and opening it to reveal white paper bags._

"_C-coach…!" Asahi seemed so happy though his smile slipped away as his timid eyes sought out Komatsu._

Could Kuroo's death honestly be over pork buns? _Tsukishima thought dully. _

_Everything seemed to happen in a rush, Komatsu yelled something and Tsukishima found himself pushed forward and back into the gym. The door slammed, cutting off the noise abruptly and plunging them back into murky silence._

_Ukai gave one last yell, sounding strangely like he was talking through the megaphone. _

"_Don't make a ruckus!" the coach yelled. "And then eat a proper meal when you go home!"_

_Tsukishima dimly noted the cracking of his voice on the last sentence._

It must be killing him, not knowing what's happening to us.

_Komatsu removed his gun from Kuroo's forehead and Tsukishima felt cool relief run through him. "Everything went better than expected," he commented, walking towards Taro. "Take the food, go back to your friends." His expression was mild and Tsukishima felt like he'd somehow been released._

_Tsukishima noticed Kuroo looking a little blank and disorientated as the gun was moved away. He made no comment on it._

"_Let's go," murmured Asahi, his hand crumpling the top of the bag. "I'm… I'm sure everyone will be glad to have these."_

_They walked over to the group in a single file, slowly as they tried to force their nerves away._

"_Was that Coach Ukai?" asked Kageyama once they were within earshot. "What's it look like out there? How many police were there? Did-Did you see any of our parents?"_

"_Hold on, Kageyama. Let them catch their breath first," Suga broke in gently. He shuffled outwards to welcome them into the circle, their mock safety in the gym. Tsukishima instantly collapsed, Asahi next to him. He'd wanted to make a more graceful descent but his legs just gave out. Kuroo remained standing. "Don't you want to sit?" Suga pressed._

"_I'm going to go to the bathroom," Kuroo explained. "It's back there, right?" He pointed._

"_Huh? Yes. The one on the far right." Suga glanced over. "But take someone with you, we don't want_—"

"_Relax." Kuroo cut him off with a wave and a brief smirk. "I'll be fine."_

_He stepped away from the group and Tsukishima watched him through blank eyes. _

"_Going to the bathroom!" the captain called out, obviously making sure that Taro and Komatsu didn't have another excuse to pull a gun on him. The bathroom door slammed shut behind him without any complaints from the men._

"_You two were very brave." Suga broke the silence after Kuroo's departure. He reached out and drew Asahi into a hug, smiling over the ace's shoulder at Tsukishima. "Thank you."_

_There was a silence in which the Nekoma setter got up and followed Kuroo to the bathroom. He didn't bother calling out but Taro and Komatsu didn't seem to care._

"_I'm so glad you're both safe!" Hinata yelled, flinging his arms around Asahi before making his way over to Tsukishima. The small middle blocker paused for a moment and Tsukishima stared at him apprehensively._

_Then, to his surprise, Hinata was hugging him, head buried in his chest._

"_You big dummy," Hinata said, voice muffled. "I was so worried."_

* * *

All alone in the darkness, Tsukishima crouched and tried to hold back his tears. Because he was only fifteen, and he had been so scared and he was putting all his energy into not showing it.

He wanted his brother, and he hadn't wanted him since that fateful game back in middle school. He wanted to get out of the gym right now, though there was no way that was happening.

The tall middle blocker shivered, suddenly aware of how cold it was. He wanted his warm bed at home and the soft background noise of his music.

He wanted a lot of things right now and he couldn't have any of them. Maybe it was selfish of him but this situation was something he was struggling to deal with. He wanted it to be over so he could go home and let it all out.

What time was it anyway? It was dark in the gym and Tsukishima still felt tired so he couldn't have been sleeping that long. He snuck another glance at Taro and Komatsu.

A part of him had hoped that the two would fall asleep and then the police would come in and everything would be over and he could just go home and sleep. He hadn't thought it was end up like this, sleeping over in the gym. Sure Nishinoya and Tanaka had been trying to have a volleyball sleepover in the gym, but this was different.

Yamaguchi had been so scared. He'd been crying and yelling all because they were stuck in here overnight. Tsukishima hated that.

"Pathetic," he whispered into the darkness and the silence replied.

* * *

He woke up aching more than ever, his back sore and his glasses pressed so hard into his face he initially couldn't pull them off. Around him, some of the team was still sleeping, the gym dim enough to mean it was probably early morning, five or six.

Suga was up, Daichi's head cradled in his lap. He was humming quietly, a soft smile on his face.

Kageyama was sitting alone, stretching as if it was some morning exercise. It probably was. He was the type to have a routine. He probably only stretched for the sake of volleyball. And how the hell was he able to reach his toes?

The Nekoma setter was up and staring at his sleeping captain, who was a jumble of limbs and bed head.

Apart from that, everyone else seemed to be asleep or at least dozing. Tanaka's snoring had ceased but Nishinoya had started up and it should have been illegal to have such a loud sound coming from such a small body.

"Good morning, Tsukishima," Suga said softly. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Mmmm," he hummed, leaving it to Suga to interpret it however he wanted to.

Kageyama re-joined the group after finishing his stretches, choosing to sit back down next to the sleeping Hinata and reclaim his jacket which had been cast aside in the night. He slipped it back on and wrapped his arms around himself.

"It's cold," Kozume muttered, surprising Tsukishima. The Nekoma setter didn't seem to be one to speak up without first being pressed to.

"Ah, I wish we could look in the storeroom," Suga scratched the back of his head. "There might be some stuff in there."

"Like they'd let us go in alone," Kageyama muttered.

"We'll just have to wait it out then," Suga said brightly. "I'm sure it'll get warmer. It's just because it's early morning that it's cold."

Tsukishima grunted, blinking to keep his eyes open. He was tired but not enough to actually fall back asleep. The feeling would pass as the day dragged on.

"When do you think they'll talk about the negotiations?" a voice asked. It was Nishinoya; he had woken up and was now combing his fingers through his hair. It had flopped down during the night and he was working on getting it back to its usual height. Without its added height, Nishinoya's size was something akin to a child. Tsukishima had heard the story about the training camp and Hinata mistaking Nishinoya for a ghost child after his shower.

"Later," Tsukishima said after a pause. He felt all eyes fly to him and he shifted uncomfortably. "It's still early. Too early to do anything. We can barely see in here."

"Wonder what the negotiations even are." Nishinoya slipped away from Tanaka to sit with Suga. Soon, the group of awake people had formed a little group with Daichi in the middle, sleeping soundly. Suga had refused to wake the captain so they tried to be as quiet as possible.

The conversation was slow and dull and Tsukishima found himself tuning out, his eyes fixated on the windows near the door. The gym was gradually getting lighter as the sun began to rise and he knew that all too soon, Komatsu and Taro would make themselves known again. They would want power over the gym and they wanted it to be obvious that they had it.

The sun finally broke through the window, a bright bolt of light that had Tsukishima squinting against it. As if the light was some sort of signal, Taro stood up, his gun in his hands.

"All of you, up!" he ordered, loud enough that Tsukishima winced. The people around him scrambled into action, waking those who were sleeping. Suga squished Daichi's cheeks to wake him up, a small smile on his face whilst Nishinoya jumped on Azumane's chest and caused the ace to cry out in surprise. Slowly but surely, the gym came to life.

There was only one person still asleep and Tsukishima was not in the least bit surprised to see that it was Hinata. The orange haired teen was curled up tightly, a little smile on his face as he stubbornly remained in the world of sleep.

"Hinata." Suga shook the boy gently. "You have to get up now."

"You have to be louder, Suga," Daichi remarked. Tsukishima smirked.

"Hinata!" Suga shook the boy a little harder. Hinata stirred and grumbled.

"Not now mum, I'm sleeping," he mumbled and Tsukishima couldn't help but laugh bitterly. Yamaguchi joined in and soon most of the gym occupants were laughing. Suga's cheeks flamed red and he resorted to squishing Hinata's cheeks like he had done with Daichi.

"GWAH!" Hinata rocketed up, his head meeting Suga's with a _crack_. Boy boys fell back clutching their heads in pain.

"Dumbass Hinata," Kageyama growled as Hinata rolled about whining.

"Listen up, you lot!" Taro roared. "You are to be silent whilst we _negotiate _with the police." He sneered the word like it was an awful tasting dish. "I'm sure they'll be making contact soon."

"Suga, you should be flattered," Hinata said slyly. "All this fuss for you."

Hinata may have not noticed how strained the smile Suga gave the first year was but Tsukishima certainly did.

"Lucky me," the third year said weakly, moving back to sit pressed against Daichi.

There was a slight crackling noise suddenly, faint but distinguishable. Tsukishima straightened up, eyes flying to Taro and Komatsu as he saw how tense they were.

"This is the police!" the voice blared. "We have several negotiations we would like to put forth."

"Go ahead," Taro said as if granting permission.

"He's not going to agree to any of them, is he?" Asahi fretted.

"We don't know that," Tanaka shot back.

"Quiet," Komatsu snapped.

"We can promise a lighter sentence if you release the children now," requested the man with the loudspeaker. Tsukishima held back a snort. Like that was going to go down. It was obviously a lie, something to lure the men out. And maybe it would've worked if they were a lot dumber.

Taro and Komatsu didn't even seem to consider this one. It was spooky how in sync they seemed sometimes.

"As if," Taro shouted back. "We refuse. That one was stupid. As if we'd accept that!"

There was silence from the police's side and Tsukishima wondered just how many negotiations they actually had.

"We're not getting out, are we?" Yamaguchi said, his voice barely even a whisper. "They're not going to stop till they take Suga, are they?"

"Don't say that," Nishinoya scolded. "Of course we won't let them take Suga."

There was a small sniff and everyone's heads turned to look at Suga. He had tears running down his face but gave them all a wide smile when they looked at him.

"Sorry," he said lightly, the smile plastered on his face. "I guess I'm just so grateful to have you all."

"It's cause you're awesome Suga!" Hinata exclaimed.

"You're a good setter."

"Kageyama!"

"What?"

"You really care for us," Asahi said nervously.

_He really does, _Tsukishima thought, looking at Suga as the others gathered around him to shower him with praise. _It's funny. Why do we mean so much to him? We're just teammates. I don't understand. It's just a sport. _

"We're not going to let them take you, Suga!"

_And why does he mean so much to us?_

* * *

All negotiations were shut down. There had been a final bid to at least get an unarmed police officer into the gym to talk face to face but Taro refused outright. Komatsu had seemed to be considering it but Taro wouldn't let him get a word in.

Now they were back to waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting. It was driving Tsukishima insane. They couldn't do anything. They were completely shut off.

The pork buns were long gone but the smell lingered and Tsukishima's stomach growled. No one seemed to notice, which he was grateful for. He was not in the mood to have Hinata or somebody else laughing at him.

He felt tired and drained and he wanted to just shut everything out.

"Looks like we've reached another standstill," Kageyama noted glumly, breaking the silence that had been hanging in the air for a while.

"Sooner or later someone is going to act," Kuroo pointed out.

"I'm sick of this," Nishinoya spat. "It sucks!" He brushed aside the hand Azumane rested on his shoulder. "I'm hungry and dirty and tired and there's no end in sight."

"Nishinoya, calm down," Daichi said sternly. Tsukishima sighed. Here they were, the two of them clashing again. Then someone - probably Suga - would calm them down and silence would fall only for tempers to flare up again.

A boring cycle, one Tsukishima was desperate for someone to break. He would even consider playing volleyball right now. That's how desperate he was.

Because even now, he wasn't sure why he played volleyball. The whole drama with Akiteru, it had really shaken him up. To have his trust betrayed like that…it hurt.

"I'm going to the toilet." Hinata bounced to his feet.

"I'll come with you," Kageyama said almost immediately. Tsukishima was glad to have something to smirk over. The two hurried over to the toilets.

Tsukishima stiffened suddenly, as though he felt a gaze on him. He narrowed his eyes, sneaking a glimpse to the side. He spotted Komatsu staring blatantly at him and forced his face to remain the picture of stoicness. On the inside however, his stomach churned and he felt like throwing up.

What had he done? Had Komatsu been awake during the night when Tsukishima had been?

Eventually, Komatsu's eyes slid away, this time focusing on Yamaguchi. Oh! So that's how it was. Komatsu was taking the time to analyse them, to see how they were faring after a night in the gym.

Hinata and Kageyama re-appeared, Hinata getting side-tracked when he saw a lone volleyball at the other side of the gym.

"Can I?" he asked Suga, looking like a puppy begging for scraps. Suga hesitated.

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea, Hinata," the ashen haired setter's eyes slid over to Kenma Kozume, sitting quietly by Kuroo's side. "Perhaps we should play Chinese whispers again."

"No, let's play ninja!" Nishinoya burst in excitedly, his attitude swinging wildly at the thought of a game.

"What's that?" Tsukishima said before he could stop himself. The look in Nishinoya's eyes told him he was going to regret this.

* * *

"Ow!" Yamaguchi blinked in shock, cradling his hand to his body.

"Sorry," Hinata winced, having 'ninja-ed' his teammate's hand a little too hard. "This game is just really fun." He turned to look at Tsukishima. "I'm coming for you next!"

Tsukishima stared back at him. He had been right. He was so regretting this.

"Ow! Kenma!"

Why couldn't this entire mess just be over?

He shot a glance over at Taro and Komatsu and saw that the former looked furious, eyes boring into the teammates as they played their game. He made no move to stop them, which was possibly due to Komatsu's hand on his shoulder, holding him back. Said man seemed amused, eyes flickering with mirth as he watched Kuroo skulk away from Kenma.

The game halted abruptly when the loudspeaker outside crackled to life.

"Attention and good morning, occupants of the gym," the officer's voice began. "We have a new proposition for you."

"Whoop-de-doo," Tsukishima muttered to himself sarcastically, and suddenly a new voice had the loudspeaker. A woman's voice.

"He… Hello? Children? This… This is Shoyo's mother."

Tsukishima looked towards Hinata. He was gaping at the door, frozen on his feet.

"Mum?" he whispered, and he looked so torn up about it that even Tsukishima felt a twinge of sympathy for him.

"We…" The woman, Hinata's mother, paused to take a deep breath. "Don't worry. We're going to get you out."

_Are you? _Tsukishima found himself thinking. _Seriously? What good can one parent do?_

Little did he know, the effect of family bonds on the situation was a lot stronger than he was counting on.

* * *

**Yo guys. Here's Tsukki's chapter written by yours truly Toph. I'm pretty proud of this one. Thank you all for the lovely comments!**

**Oh and to guest reviewer 'Lalala' - everyone who started in the gym will get a chapter. So yes, Noya too. X3**


	9. Ryuunosuke Tanaka

**Helloooooo! Sorry we're a little late! (Not as bad as my FMA fic updates I guess... XD)**

**Here's the next installment! Another of mine, Zakkie, and it's actually one of my favourites. Well, this one and Nishinoya's. And prepare yourself! A lot happens this go round! Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 9: RYUUNOSUKE TANAKA**

* * *

"Don't worry. We're going to get you out."

Tanaka knew he should have felt reassured. Hopeful. Relieved. Something.

But he didn't, and that was more than a little worrying.

Was this what if felt like to lose faith completely? Was he doomed to this surreal emptiness for the rest of his life? What if the whole experience had just wiped out his capacity to hope – for good?

_No. _Tanaka rubbed his knuckles into his forehead. _I won't believe that._

He needed to believe that the police had a plan, and that Hinata's mother knew what to say. He had to believe that they knew what they were doing. Tanaka wasn't exactly a keen strategist or anything, but he knew having the woman talk through the door to them was a risky move. If she said the wrong thing, the delicate situation could blow up around them like a nuclear bomb.

And Hinata's spirit was fragile enough as it was. This was almost a sadistic move on the police's part.

"That's my mum," the boy kept whispering. "That's her, that's my mum outside."

"What are you here to say, woman?" inquired Taro bitterly, breaking the brief silence.

"I…" Hinata's mother faltered and the ginger teen made an audible whimpering noise. "We're just here…to ask for our children back."

"Well, we ain't giving them back." Taro folded his muscular arms.

"Not that easily, he means," Komatsu put in steadily.

"Not until everyone out there pisses off and lets me take my own son," Taro continued bad-temperedly.

It was quiet outside for a moment before Hinata's mother began again,

"I-in any event, we just want to make sure that you're all okay," she said in a voice that sounded like she was close to tears. Tanaka could see Hinata slowly falling apart with each word. "We're so worried, so worried. Just please, stay strong and don't do anything silly. Be strong, Shoyo, it'll be okay. Dad and Natsu and I love you, please stay strong."

Hinata was making quiet noises in the back of his throat, quite visibly choking back tears. He was putting so much effort into not crying that he couldn't speak.

"Hey." Kageyama addressed his classmate softly, and it was a bizarre sight to see him trying so hard to be gentle. "Aren't you going to say something?"

Hinata nodded, sniffing loudly and calling out, "I love you too, mum!"

His voice trembled, cracked and was thick with unshed tears, but nobody seemed to pay it any mind. To be honest, Tanaka almost felt like crying himself.

"She kept referring to a 'we'," mused Kuroo softly. "Is she saying—"

"Daichi?" A man's voice came through the door next, making the Karasuno captain start. "Daichi, are you alright?"

Kuroo twitched his head as his suspicion was confirmed.

"Your dad?" Tanaka whispered to Daichi, staring towards the locked door.

"Yeah…" The captain nodded with a dazed look. Louder, he continued, "I'm fine, dad! I'm fine!"

"That-That's good to hear." Tanaka noticed Daichi's shoulders fall slack as his father paused. "Your mother and I - we're worried… Don't do anything reckless. No, I…I know you wouldn't do that. You're responsible."

Daichi didn't reply. Watching him, it was startling to Tanaka to see how rattled he looked.

"Captain Daichi?" Yamaguchi's quiet question seemed to break him out of his daze.

"O-okay!" he called across the gym to his father. Suga stepped up beside him and punched his arm softly.

Asahi's mother said something after Daichi's father which had the tough-looking ace quivering and stammering like the big child everyone knew he was deep down. He was sniffling as he began gently trying to prise Nishinoya's 'comforting embrace' off his leg.

After her it went to Kenma's mother, who offered an anxious barrage of questions and explained that only a few of the parents had been allowed close, which was why not everyone was able to hear from them.

Disappointment settled in Tanaka's stomach like a stone, but also a little relief since he felt like he'd probably break into an incoherent mixture of jumbled words and noises if any of his family had said anything as meaningful as what had come before.

Though, he was surprised Taro and Komatsu had let it drag on this long. They didn't seem at all fazed by the emotion that was slowly digging its way into the hearts of all the team members, even if it wasn't their family speaking. They just continued to sit, guns at the ready, and listened to the painful exchanges.

"So we've…" Hinata's mother was speaking again, though she seemed to be struggling. "We've come to ask for our children back. Please. We just want…our sons back…"

Tanaka's heart twisted as he cast a glance at Hinata. The ginger was biting his lip hard, breathing quickly so as to hold back his tears.

"Please, let them go. We can sort it all out, you know?" Despite her worry and anguish, Hinata's mother seemed to be continuing to pick her words carefully. "Please don't hurt them. They're only children, after all…"

Taro folded his arms again, leaning back and scoffing. "You think that'll get us to surrender? Really? So you give up on talking law, you give up on threats, you give up on anything sensible and come at me with this sentimental mush? Get away and come back with something smarter. Or better yet, just leave!"

It wasn't like no-one had expected it, but the blatant rejection in Taro's response was still a blow to everyone. They'd all been hoping that he at least had some humanity left in him which they could get through to.

It was cruel, especially on those whose parents had spoken.

Someone cleared their throat. It was the ever-reliable chief officer.

"We're still hoping you'll reconsider. If you don't surrender soon, we will storm the gym."

"You wouldn't have the guts," derided Taro, sneering at the door. "You wouldn't be game to risk the lives of these punks in a charge like that."

"We'll find out soon enough," came the reply. There were a few desperate final words as the parents were led away again.

Tanaka's anger rose as he caught Asahi's stricken face and Daichi's downcast gaze. They didn't deserve to have their hearts toyed with like that. His anger rose again as he realised there was nothing he could do about it, which turned into a sort of helpless frustration that made him want to hit something.

Taro's nose would be nice, but even he wasn't hard-headed enough to go up against that pistol in the man's hand.

Looking to Nishinoya, he knew that his friend felt much the same. The libero was undeniably an awesome guy, but his self-restraint tended to blow away when you sneezed on it and that led to Tanaka sending up a silent prayer that now was not one of those times where Noya gave in to his more violent tendencies.

What was getting to him most of all was Hinata's current form.

The first year looked close to having a full-blown mental breakdown. His cheeks were pale but his eyes were red-rimmed and glistening with tears, his whole body quaking as he tried to trap it inside himself.

Kageyama was there next to him. He was trying his best to act like an emotionally calming influence, but let's just say he wasn't going to be hosting a heartfelt support talk show any time soon.

Kenma was close by as well, but he had all the emotive confidence skills of a cheese and onion potato chip.

Tanaka made to edge closer to his precious underclassman when it all came tumbling down.

Hinata gave one almighty sniff before his resolve cracked right through the centre and turned to dust. He let out a quiet wail and broke into a bout of harsh sobbing.

_He's done,_ thought Tanaka bleakly, and the fact that such a thought had entered his head so calmly, as if it were an everyday occurrence, terrified him.

Kageyama panicked, his hands flying up around his head and his face contorting in a mix of alarm and concern. Knowing only his violent interpretation of comforting, he grabbed Hinata's shirt and opened his mouth as if to start shouting.

Tanaka was moving before he knew what he was doing, grabbing Kageyama's shoulder and thrusting him away before he could make the situation worse with his rather wonky interpretation of emotional sensitivity.

Next thing Suga had abandoned Daichi's side to bound over to Hinata. Although the other setter's comfort skills trumped Kageyama's by several laps of the planet, Tanaka worried nobody would be able to reach Hinata at this point.

Kenma was hovering as well, looking concerned and afraid. He backed into Kuroo, who was frowning desolately at the goings on.

Tsukishima was loitering just beyond the pair, sighing and muttering and scowling, but it wasn't hard to tell he was feeling just as low as everyone else. Yamaguchi stared pointlessly into space, no spark in his eyes nor energy in his movements.

Hinata's sobbing was all they could hear at the moment. Everything else had gone silent, as if it had all been a lead-up to this. A lead-up to the point where one of them could take no more, where he'd just break down and cry.

Tanaka knew the feeling. They all did.

The pain, the fear, the longing and the misery, all of it mixing so thickly they all dulled each other out to create a sharp kind of emptiness that left you devoid of all desires but to curl up and cry.

It just so happened that Hinata was the most susceptible of the group. He was often treated as the baby of the team for not only his height but his curious awe of anything new and his naïve immaturity, and he certainly was easier shaken than most at times.

Through his dazzling smile and endlessly persistent nature, they tended to forget that. Times like this reminded them, times where Hinata's childish nature and inexperience became a distinct vulnerability.

Another thing they forgot was that Kageyama was even younger than Hinata.

So whilst Suga grabbed the ginger's shoulders and hugged him so tight Tanaka doubted he'd ever let go, Kageyama dropped to the ground, pulled his jacket off and threw it over his head as if to block everyone out.

Hinata was crying so hard he was struggling to breathe between his hiccups and it was clear they needed to calm him down. Suga moved the first-year's hands away from where they were desperately scrubbing at his eyes and coaxed him into sitting down.

Tanaka couldn't help but look at their captors. He was quick to anger when he saw that Taro was grouching around like he couldn't care less, but the pair redeemed themselves a little when he noticed Komatsu watching them with an expression that leaned slightly more towards curiosity than complete disinterest.

Suga was sitting with Hinata, murmuring reassurances and trying to get him to stop crying. Despite his gentle tone and the way he patted the boy's back, Tanaka could see the weary look in his eye and the way he seemed to be pleading for Hinata to calm down.

_It can't be easy for him, can it? _Tanaka found himself asking, folding his arms over his chest. _I mean, he's got to be feeling the strain more than any of us - it's his dad that's doing all this, after all. He's the one in the most trouble. And he still takes the time to cover it up and ask about everyone else…_

Tanaka felt a lump rise in his throat and he swallowed, clenching his hands around his arms. _Suga, you're so strong and awesome. There's no way we'll let them take you, there's just no way!_

"Hinata, if you don't stop that you're going to make yourself sick," Daichi pointed out in a dull tone.

Hinata replied with a string of broken noises Tanaka assumed were attempted words. His hiccups were cutting through his sentences and making it impossible to discern anything he was trying to say. It seemed like he was in no state to offer any reply worthy of note anyway.

After a few minutes of them being unsure of whether Hinata was actually trying to calm down or just letting himself fall apart further, he eventually managed to cut back his heavy sobbing to get a few words in.

"I'm… I'm just scared…" he choked out. "Just leave me alone - hic - for a minute. I'll be… I'll be fine…"

Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Suga placed his arm around Hinata's shoulder and sat there in an obstinate silence. Daichi roused himself as well, walking over and dropping down on the boy's other side. He crossed his legs and stared forward, having nothing to say.

And that was when the oddest thing happened.

Kageyama, from where he had secluded himself underneath his volleyball jacket, slid himself towards the trio and sat behind them with his back pressed to Suga's. He was still hiding his face when he spoke.

"S-Suga," he started, and everyone was shocked to hear his breath hitch. "I don't want…them to take you."

_Is he…_ Tanaka deflated a little as he saw how Kageyama was shuddering underneath his jacket. _He's crying too._

Asahi stared at them, looking upset, and soon found himself being towed across the gym to the cluster by an unusually solemn looking Nishinoya. The ace and libero settled there too, Noya rubbing both Asahi's and Kageyama's shoulders and receiving no berating from either of them.

"Nobody should be crying," the second year stated knowingly. "None of us are splitting up. We're can be from different classes, different years, different neighbourhoods, even different schools, but right now we're _all _a team, and nobody can take that from us. If they even try anything with any one of us, I'll take 'em apart."

Tanaka once more found himself fighting back tears of his own at that. "Noya, that was so…so cool…" He charged forward to crash to his knees in front of Nishinoya, who grabbed his arm and pulled him into the cluster.

"No-one's taking anyone apart," mumbled Daichi. "Not if I can help it."

Kuroo sighed and flashed them with a half-hearted smirk. "You're all pretty set on sticking together, aren't you? And as much as it pains me to have to disassociate with our team, I think Kenma and I are both willing to temporarily consider ourselves a part of this. Right, Kenma?"

"It sounds presumptuous when you say it," mumbled Kenma in reply, but he looked at the group and Tanaka could see the air of acknowledgement about him.

"Come on." Kuroo stepped forward and took a seat next to Daichi, folding his legs and patting the ground next to him to indicate Kenma should sit. The setter sighed and followed suit.

All that left was Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, the latter of whom was looking nervously at his friend as if waiting for permission.

Tsukishima opened his mouth to speak, but ended up just looking down at the floor. At a distance, Tanaka could see his arms twitching as he squeezed his fists shut and relaxed them repeatedly. He looked so conflicted.

Without warning he fixed them all with his usual apathetic stare and wandered over with Yamaguchi trotting behind. Without so much as a word of reasoning, he sat down next to Asahi and Yamaguchi took a place right by his side.

That saw them all just sitting there, unspeaking, with no noise except the gradually quieting sound of Hinata's crying.

"I want to go home," said Yamaguchi, repeating himself for about the hundredth time.

Tanaka waited for someone to reply. They'd gone through it so many times now that it was almost a given that there would be a 'we'll get out soon' or 'don't worry about it' from another member, usually Daichi or Suga.

But this time was different. Suga just drew into himself, intent on staring at his shoes. Daichi sighed.

"Me too, Yamaguchi," the captain said.

Everyone had made the mutual decision that each of them had one strong desire now – to get out of the gym and go home. But hearing it so bluntly, from Daichi in particular, was something else.

Tanaka wanted to say something, but held his tongue since he didn't think there was anything he could do. Something like 'don't say that' wasn't quite appropriate, and he couldn't think of anything else.

So there was just more silence.

"…Hey." Komatsu swung his legs forward and stood, catching the group's attention. Nobody said anything, so he gave a little sigh and walked forward.

The people on his side of the cluster, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi and Asahi, skittered backwards to squish in closer to the centre.

"Relax," the man said calmly, exposing his palms. "I'm not here to do you any harm. In fact, I have something to say that you might want to consider."

"Komatsu, what do you think you're doing?" Taro called across sharply.

"I'm sick of having to keep all these kids here!" snapped back Komatsu. "Aren't you? I mean look at them!"

Komatsu pointed at Hinata, who flinched and found Suga's arm gripping his back protectively.

"This little ginger punk's wetting himself over here. Can't you just cut them some slack? Even if you only let half of them go, we still have enough hostages to prevent anyone from charging."

"Huh!" Taro scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Of course you'd say something like that, Komatsu. You always were so damn soft. I should've known better than to partner with you back then."

"At least if you hadn't, I wouldn't be stuck here!" barked Komatsu. "This is all your fault, after all!"

Taro flashed his teeth in a sneer. "Shut up."

Komatsu rubbed his forehead. "Listen. What I'm trying to say is that we really don't need all of these kids here to maintain the situation. They don't all need to be stuck going through this."

Tanaka ground his teeth. _We've already been through hell here! It's not like letting someone out now is going to magically erase everything that happened! You can't just forget being this scared! And what is this, you just wanna let some of us out? What about the rest?!_

Even so, the spiker couldn't deny his overriding emotion. He did want more than anything for everyone to get outside. Even just one of them would be better than nobody. He hated the two men, but he desperately wanted freedom for the team.

"Half of them," Komatsu said, jabbing his finger at the teens. "Let half of them go. We don't need all of these kids."

"No." Taro didn't miss a beat.

"Taro!" Komatsu shouted the name exasperatedly, turning where he stood to glare. "It was your damn obstinacy that got us here! Let me get us the hell out! Or at least _try _to show one last shred of decency!"

"Shut up!"

"_God!_" Komatsu stormed across the room, ripping his gun out of his pocket and thrusting it at Taro's chest angrily. "Why are you so damn _difficult?!"_

"Because I want to walk back out of this place without stepping into a prison cell!" retorted Taro, grabbing the pistol and pushing it aside. He and Komatsu were squaring off now, standing nearly chest to chest as they both stared holes into each other's faces.

Komatsu pushed at Taro's shoulder in an attempt to throw him off balance, but the man merely stumbled before retaliating with a violent shove of his own. Komatsu snapped, tackling his partner and forcing him to the wall with the pistol shoved against his throat.

"How'd you like it if I just pulled this trigger right now, huh? How'd you like that?" he hissed, pressing the gun harder with each furious word.

"Komatsu!" snarled Taro, blood rushing to his face out of fury. "Get off and sit your ass down, or so help me I'll kill you where you stand!"

"You think I believe that?!" yelled Komatsu. "You're a moron through and through, but even so you aren't _that _damn stupid!"

"Shut _up_, you prissy asshole! I'll kill you!"

The violent bickering at the end of the hall was reaching every corner, making Tanaka's heart beat faster like his body was already preparing to get up and run if things really went sour.

Hinata, who had only just managed to fall back into a relatively calm state, was starting to cry again and was burying his head into Suga's embrace. The setter gave off the impression that he honestly didn't care who came clinging to his side anymore – he just wanted the whole thing to end.

Yamaguchi was stuck on the side of the group closest to the heat and didn't seem to be handling that fact well. His eyes were fixated on the scene like he was hypnotised, his breathing shallow and wheezy. He jumped, and out of the corner of his eye, Tanaka could see it was because Tsukishima had grabbed his hand and was squeezing it tightly. Whether the blocker was trying to comfort his friend or himself remained to be seen.

Nishinoya, a contrast to the panicking first years, looked downright furious. He was shaking from how tightly his muscles were clenched and Tanaka wouldn't be surprised if the only thing holding him back was Asahi's grip on his shoulder.

After a minute of tussling and arguing, Komatsu stepped back and stormed over to the group. Tanaka felt fear seeping through his chest and right down to his feet, making his hands feel numb and the hairs on his neck stand up. He had felt more terror in the last day than any other of his life, and this time it was followed by a terrible sense of foreboding.

"You three," the man said coldly. "Hinata. Yamaguchi. Kozume."

_He knows our names?! _Tanaka swallowed and glanced quickly at the students who had been indicated. They were all cowering back behind the nearest available cover, eyeing Komatsu anxiously. _And how did he manage to pick out the weakest links so easily? He must be miles more observant than I thought…_

"Stand up and get over here."

Hinata looked at Suga with an expression of desperation, but the third year couldn't do anything except offer a sad half-smile and murmur, "Do as he says. It'll be okay."

The short teen gave a terrified whimper as the setter gently detached him from his arm and nodded reassuringly. Hinata rose and tiptoed out of the group timidly to stand by himself. He wasn't sobbing anymore, but silent tears were still streaming down his cheeks.

Yamaguchi was paralysed. He twisted his head jerkily to Tsukishima, who met his gaze blankly. The tall blond bit his lip and cast his gaze away before whispering, "Stand up."

"Tsukki, I—"

"Shut up, Yamaguchi." Tsukishima was shaking.

Yamaguchi hesitated for once. He twitched like he wanted to get up but his legs wouldn't let him.

Kenma was just sitting there, as if pretending he hadn't been called on. He looked so small next to Kuroo, hugging his knees, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

"Tch." Komatsu's lip curled in a sneer and he grabbed Yamaguchi's wrist, forcibly pulling him to his feet. The first year squeaked and flailed his hands frantically, looking for something to hide behind and not finding anything. He wrung his wrists and walked awkwardly to Hinata's side.

Tsukishima watched on, unable to do anything. His hands were twisted into the material of his shorts, clenched so tight his knuckles were white.

Next Komatsu strode around the group towards Kenma.

The setter panicked and scrambled away from him, pressing himself between Kuroo and Daichi. Kuroo's expression grew thunderous and he adjusted his position to block Komatsu's access to his teammate.

"I'm _trying _to _help _you brats!" the gunman hissed, drawing his weapon and pressing it to Kuroo's temple. He used it to push the captain's head to the side, forcing his body to go with it.

Tanaka heard him whisper something obscenely rude under his breath as he closed his eyes and relented to Komatsu's demand.

Kenma made a noise like a stifled whine and stumbled forward as Komatsu thrust him towards the two first years. He was trembling uncontrollably as he slipped behind Hinata, who had Yamaguchi shamelessly clinging to his shoulder.

Kuroo smacked the ground with his fist as Komatsu walked towards the trio, earning him a stern look from Daichi.

Tanaka watched the Nekoma captain glower at Komatsu and couldn't help but sympathise with him. He and Kenma were undoubtedly close after all. Seeing someone you knew look that scared wasn't a pleasant experience as it was, let alone your best friend.

"Taro!" Komatsu called across the gym. "Look at these kids for a second!"

Suga's father rolled his head over to look at his partner and drawled, "What?"

"Are you seriously telling me you don't feel any hint of pity for them?" the man pressed, thrusting his gun at the trio and cocking his head. "Any at all?"

Tanaka watched, feeling useless, as Yamaguchi cowered behind Hinata and the ginger tried desperately to hold back his sobs.

Taro remained stubbornly silent, his face unreadable as Komatsu grabbed Kenma's arm and pulled him out from behind Hinata. The short blocker looked on, horrified, as his friend staggered into the open.

Kenma was standing awkwardly, frozen on his feet and barely breathing. His eyes were wide with terror and flicking madly from point to point like he was frantically trying to spot a way out of the situation.

"Didn't you see this kid collapse before?" repeated Komatsu, indicating the setter with a point of his gun. "Look at him. He's been freaking out this whole time, and you're telling me there's not a single cell in your body that wants to cut him some slack?"

"I don't know what kind of a point you're trying to make, but it's not working," replied Taro in a monotone.

"This point!" retorted Komatsu, roughly jabbing Kenma in the head with the pistol.

Tanaka winced as the teen threw his hands over his head and dropped to his knees, shrinking away like a mouse retreating into its hole.

Kuroo almost whacked Tanaka in the head as he pushed towards his teammate. Then it was Daichi who found his head grazed by the other captain's fist as he latched onto Kuroo's arm in a bid to physically restrain him.

"Tanaka!" he growled, pulling the Nekoma player back to the ground. "Little help?"

"Right." He grabbed Kuroo's other arm and forced him back, saying, "Calm down! It can't be helped. Just suck it up for a few more lousy minutes."

Kuroo's gaze burned as he stopped struggling. "I was too careless before," he said lowly. "I'm not letting him get hurt again."

"We won't stand for it either," agreed Tanaka. "But Daichi knows what he's doing. Right, Captain?" He sincerely hoped the third year did – Kuroo looked downright terrifying in this state.

Daichi nodded and looked back at Komatsu. "We don't want to risk interfering and making the situation worse. What's best for now is to wait and see what happens. If it starts to go downhill, we intervene. But up until then, we just run the risk of blowing it."

"And look at this kid!" Komatsu was continuing. "His nerves are beyond shot. And you want to just leave him here?!"

He was referring to Hinata, who was just barely holding it together. His eyes were locked on Kenma as the teen sunk to the ground, shaking like a leaf and pressing his hands over his ears.

Everything was silent for a moment as they waited for Taro's verdict.

He didn't say anything, and eventually Komatsu took charge.

"You know what, I'm tired of all this," he stated, voice tense. "I actually don't care anymore. You lot, decide amongst yourselves which five can go free. So maybe your parents guilt-tripped me into this – I honestly don't give a damn any more. I'm over this ridiculousness."

Taro laughed from where he sat, a grating sound with no joy to it. "Who gave you the autho—"

The whole room startled collectively as Komatsu fired a bullet right at where his partner sat, taking a chunk of plaster out of the wall. "I did."

Taro sat stock still, caught like a rabbit staring down an eighteen-wheeler.

Kenma had curled up even tighter, his arms pulled tight to his body and his fingers tangled in his hair. He was staring into empty space with a dazed look, his mouth open a little way.

The police shouted an enquiry through the loudspeaker, and it was Suga who again yelled back that the bullet hadn't hit anyone.

"Now go on. Pick five. No more than that." Komatsu shoved his gun away and walked off to wait whilst the teenagers decided. "I'll be over here. Tell me when you've got an answer."

As soon as he had turned his back, Kuroo wrenched himself free of Tanaka's grip and charged to Kenma's side. The setter flinched away, surprising everyone.

However, once he recognised Kuroo wasn't a threat it was a whole new story.

He pressed a hand to the ground and struggled upright on shaky legs, grabbing the sleeve of Kuroo's hoodie when aiming for his hand. He didn't speak, settling for a silent kind of comfort.

Kuroo looked down at him with an expression of concern, but only said, "I'm glad you're safe, but don't keep scaring me."

Yamaguchi was somewhat more vocal, wailing and unlatching from Hinata's side to sprint for the group, trip and crash into Asahi. The ace blabbered out some mangled reassuring sentence and helped him sit up straight, sighing in relief when the first year threw himself backwards and onto Tsukishima's shoulder.

Hinata took one wobbly step forwards, then stopped again.

Nobody moved, unsure of what to say to the little first year. Daichi and Suga shared a glance and Asahi made some 'um' and 'ah' noises in the background. After a brief, awkward moment of nobody knowing quite what to do or expect, Kageyama stood up.

"Kage—" Tanaka was about to go after him, but Daichi held up his hand in a motion to stop. Suga shook his head slowly, his brown eyes carefully observing every move his fellow setter made. He looked like he was ready to tackle him to the ground in an instant.

Again, Tanaka felt a shudder run down his spine as Kageyama forced his expression into something less intimidating. This situation was driving them into doing things they normally wouldn't even consider, and the spiker was both frustrated and worried by it.

"Dum… Hinata," began Kageyama, fidgeting as he realised the whole group was staring. "You… You did well…not breaking down just then. It was…brave."

Hinata regarded his teammate with an empty face streaked with tears. "I'm not…brave," he whispered hoarsely. "I was terrified."

"But you held on," Kageyama pointed out. "Isn't that what bravery is?"

"I don't know anymore," replied Hinata, looking distraught. "I'm just…so tired."

"I…" Kageyama twisted his head from side to side and looked down. "I thought it was brave."

Tears began leaking from Hinata's eyes again, but he didn't seem to care. "S-so were you. This whole time, you were…"

"I was scared too," Kageyama admitted bitterly, and everyone was momentarily taken aback. "When they shot at me, I thought I was going to die. It was scary."

Tanaka saw the setter's ears growing red and decided to step in before the silence drove him to ruin the moment by yelling or punching someone or something.

"So anyway," he broke in, faltering as the attention fell onto him. It felt surreal saying it, now that he thought about it. "We have to pick only five people to let outside?"

"Well, it can't be me," Suga put forth immediately. "He won't let me leave."

"I'll stay too," said Daichi, and somehow no-one could disagree with him.

"Hinata… Do you want to go?" asked Suga quietly.

The teen's face creased as he shut his eyes and nodded, sniffling. "I do. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I want to go home. I don't want to leave you but I'm so scared I don't think I'll last any longer if I stay. I'll just…put everyone in danger…"

"It's okay," said Daichi. "We can handle it."

"Nobody's going to blame you," added Asahi.

"Right," agreed Kuroo. "Leave it to the older and wiser. And taller. I think we'll be happy to see you out."

Hinata ran his forearm over his cheeks, hiccupping. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"I…I'll stay."

It was a surprise to hear it from Kageyama, who was looking away from everyone as he talked.

"Don't ask me why," he continued. "I just am."

"Kageyama, you don't have—"

"I know what I have to do!" he snapped, cutting Daichi off. He turned around, swiping wildly at his eyes. "I'm staying."

Beside him, Tanaka could feel Nishinoya writhing and seething. The libero was glaring the eyes of a demon across at Komatsu and growling, "How _dare _you make us do that? How _dare _you make us choose between our own teammates?"

"Noya…?" Tanaka wavered, almost afraid of how his friend might respond now. In this state, he could be just as scary as Daichi.

"I _hate _him," snarled the teen. "I hate him so much. The other guy is terrible as well, but this guy… Komatsu, he acts like we should trust him, and then points a gun at us. He's jerking us around! I hate him!"

Tanaka gulped, a little frightened at the intensity behind Noya's words. "I don't like him either, but we shouldn't do anything yet, you know?"

"So when can I?" muttered Nishinoya under his breath, scratching the floor with his fingernails.

Yup, Tanaka was concerned now.

"Yamaguchi?" enquired Daichi, catching the second year off guard and shifting his attention off Nishinoya. "Will you go?"

The pinch server looked at Tsukishima. "O-only if Tsukki does. And if he…if he stays, I'll stay too."

"Then that's three," decided Suga, and Tsukishima looked over, surprised.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why what?" Suga cocked his head.

"Why are you all so self-sacrificing?" the blocker pressed, gesturing at the group. "Why aren't you all arguing about this? About who gets to go free? It doesn't make any sense."

"So what if it doesn't!" said Tanaka all of a sudden. "So what if we're all idiots! I don't care! Just as long as _somebody _gets to go free, what does it matter? You know, I'll stay as well. Why the hell shouldn't I? I don't know if I'm making the right choice in the long run, but for now I know it'll give someone else the chance to get out. And if I'm part of the fifty percent of us that is trapped here, so be it! At least I can say I let my friends get out!"

"Tanaka, eleven is an odd number. There is no fifty percent," Asahi pointed out softly, though there was a hint of a smile on his lips.

"And so what if I'm bad at maths too!" he carried on. "At least it's a good thought, right, Noya?"

Nishinoya jumped as his name was mentioned, flicking around to the group. "Huh? Oh, yeah… Yeah."

He went back to his glowering, though it seemed more people had started to pick up on his boiling anger now.

Tsukishima just kept staring, looking stressed.

"And Kenma," said Suga, attracting everyone's attentions. "What do you want to do?"

Kenma startled, glancing around and realising he was being waited on. He looked at Kuroo, who shrugged.

"It's up to you," he told him. "Though I think I know what it'll be. Or at least, I hope so."

Kenma pondered for a moment, looking conflicted. "Actually, I…I want to stay."

Kuroo looked so surprised his eyebrows threatened to fuse with his ridiculous hair. This expression seemed to reflect the looks Kenma got from everyone else (except Tsukishima, of course). "Are you sure?"

Kenma nodded. In his usual timid manner, he explained. "I saw you when you were at gunpoint. I remember thinking once, _I'm glad it's not me_. And I felt so bad about it, since you looked afraid. And then before, I only had it pointed at me for such a short time, but…I felt how bad it was, and I can't imagine having to put up with it like you did."

Kuroo went from stunned to hard denial in a second. "But Kenma, I'm fine with it now. You looked more scared than I felt, so it doesn't make any sense at all for you to switch."

"You said it was my choice," Kenma reminded him. "My choice is to stay. And I want you to go."

"What?! No! I can't—"

"You said you agreed with not letting one person take all the heat," mumbled the setter. "You took a grilling for all of us. I want you to go. This can be my turn, to make up for being so useless before."

Everyone sat in shock, which was eventually broken by Kageyama.

"He has a point," the first year murmured. "You did say that."

"I think this goes a little further than some statement I simply agreed to out of thin air," retaliated Kuroo, folding his arms in anxious defiance. "The strongest of us should stay behind, right? I'm not saying you're not strong, Kenma, but…"

"I'm not as strong as you?"

"No—"

"You're going, Kuroo," stated Kenma, sounding more sure of himself than he had at any other time in the last day.

Kuroo scowled, making his already menacing face all the more threatening.

"That leaves one more," remarked Daichi. "Is there anyone else who wants out?"

Everyone exchanged questioning glances, but nobody stepped forward.

"I guess that leaves us to decide who to kick out," joked Tanaka, though he wasn't aiming for laughter.

"I think it should be whoever is most disadvantageous," muttered Kageyama.

"So blunt…" Asahi swallowed nervously.

"I agree." Daichi touched a hand to his chin. "Logically, it would be whoever is most likely to freak out…"

He looked at Asahi, who offered a twitchy smile and looked the other way.

"…or whoever is most likely to get us in trouble."

At this point, everyone looked at the fuming Nishinoya, who seemed not to notice. He was chewing his fist and radiating hatred in the general direction of Taro and Komatsu.

"That seems like a good choice," commented Suga solemnly. "Are you alright with that, Asahi?"

The ace nodded uneasily and turned to Noya. "It's fine with _me_…"

"Huh? What's this? Are you going, Asahi?" Nishinoya's dark expression broke as he flicked his eyes up. "You sho—"

"Y-you're going, Nishinoya!" Asahi blurted, squeezing his eyes shut in anticipation of a harsh reply.

The libero blinked in surprise, looking blank. "What?"

Asahi eased open one eye. "You're going to go with them. Hinata and the others. We decided. Just then. We did."

Tanaka prepared himself for a snappy retaliation as blood rushed to Noya's face.

"Why?" he grated. "What gives you the right to decide that for me?"

"We, um…" Asahi floundered, wilting under Nishinoya's abrasive tone. "Just… It's…"

"Why would you decide that?!"

Asahi shrunk back, averting his eyes. "I…"

"Don't argue, Nishinoya. It's for everyone's good." Daichi broke into his fellow third year's predicament with a calm attitude. "It was my decision."

"Well it was a damn stupid decision!" barked Noya, twisting where he sat to shout at the captain. "Send somebody else! Tsukishima or something!"

"If you'd been listening instead of steaming away over there, you'd have known he was already going," replied Daichi.

"Huh! And what's that meant to mean?! You think paying attention to the guys with the guns is a bad idea then?!"

"I think that fixating yourself on revenge is a good way to put us all in danger."

"But I haven't _done _anything!" ranted Noya furiously, punching the floor with his bare knuckles. "It's perfectly fine for me to stay! I'm a better choice than Asahi!"

"Asahi is at least more level headed than you, Nishinoya," reasoned Daichi.

"Then what about Ryuu?!" Tanaka jumped a little as his friend wildly jabbed a finger at him. "Why don't you send him out?!"

"Tanaka," addressed Daichi. "What would you say if I told you to leave?"

Put on the spot, Tanaka thought hurriedly under everyone's attention. "I-I'd probably be annoyed, and I'd try to argue, but…I can't disagree with everyone, can I? If that's what's best to do, I'd do it." He finished just above a mumble, sweating.

"That's why," said Daichi. "Although he's hard-headed, Tanaka isn't completely caught up in his anger like you are right now. He's still thinking. I'm only doing what's best for the team, Nishinoya. And right now, that involves sending you out with the others."

"Then I'll just become calm! 'Cause I don't want to go!" shouted Noya. "I want to stay here! I _need _to! Daichi, I won't go!"

"Noya!" ordered Daichi, pointing at the ground. "Quiet _down! _You're leaving!"

"No! _No!_" Nishinoya jumped to his feet, lashing his arm in a cutting motion. "I'm staying here! I'm not leaving you guys! You can't make me go!"

"I can," growled Daichi, rising to his feet. "And I am. I don't like it any more than you do, but it's for the good of the team."

"It's _not!_" Nishinoya insisted desperately. "I'm not going unless everyone comes with me! I'm not afraid! I would never forgive myself if I left now!"

"This is not about your feelings!" thundered Daichi. "This is about keeping the team _safe._ Because the way you're going is going to get us all killed!"

"It's _both_ of you!" belted Suga from the side as tensions rose. "If you don't pipe down, something terrible will happen!"

"You're going," growled Daichi, eyes locked with Nishinoya.

Tanaka winced again – this was the worst spat they'd had since Noya had suggested taking the gunmen head-on. It seemed to be sheer luck that the two men were ignoring them now.

"I won't turn tail like a coward!" Noya bit out icily. "Those leaving are those who need to. I won't."

"Those leaving are those who can't handle the situation! Clearly, you are one of them."

"I'm not leaving," said Noya stubbornly, squaring off with the captain. "Just you try and make me!"

Daichi narrowed his eyes, seeming to accept the challenge. "Kuroo."

It was freaky how the Nekoma captain understood exactly what needed to be done. He rose in a flash, latching on to Nishinoya's arms before anyone could react. He looped his arms under the libero's shoulders and hefted him off the ground, tensing and awaiting the imminent thrashing.

"_Put me down! Put me down!_" screeched Nishinoya in his rough voice, twisting and flailing for all he was worth. He threw his weight from side to side, belting Kuroo's legs with ferocious kicks. "Put me down _right now!"_

But the blocker was tougher than that, and he just dropped his weight and held on tight. "If I have to go, you're coming with me," he growled, right in Nishinoya's ear.

"I'm sorry, Nishinoya," said Daichi softly. "But sometimes we have to make tough choices, ones that we don't want to have to follow through on. The way you're acting, I don't want to risk you or anyone else getting hurt as a result of your actions. Your passion is something invaluable to our team, but it's times like this where it's less helpful and more of a hindrance."

The second year's battering limbs gradually began to calm, but he kept hitting exhaustedly at Kuroo's hands and knees. "I don't want to leave…" he said hoarsely, red faced from the exertion.

Kuroo himself was grimacing, the skin of his knees turning blotchy from his captive's ceaseless attempts to fight his way free.

"I'm sorry," repeated Daichi. "Just take care of the others, alright? Promise me that, Noya?"

Nishinoya bared his clenched teeth as he started shaking helplessly. Tanaka could see the beginnings of angry tears in his eyes, but he blinked them back.

"Promise me that," insisted Daichi. "Promise me you'll look after Hinata and the others."

Noya shuddered in Kuroo's grasp, giving another feeble twist. Then, in a raspy tone, "I promise."

"Good." Daichi took a deep breath. "Then the five of you, go. Get up. Walk out of here. We'll be with you before you know it."

Hinata sniffed, tears gathering again. "Uwaah! Daichi!"

"Wh-what?!"

"Be careful!" the first year sobbed. "Don't get hurt! Come out as soon as you can! I don't want you to stay here! I don't want anyone to!"

Daichi gave him a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine. You just have to wait a while longer for us, okay?"

Hinata thumped into Daichi's side in a hug, then pushed away and attacked Asahi. Seconds later, the ginger was crushing Tanaka's ribcage and seconds after that he had grabbed Suga. Kenma stood stiff as a board as Hinata hugged him quickly before dashing to Kageyama.

Kageyama faltered and held out his hand, but Hinata pushed the handshake aside and grabbed his partner the same way he had everyone else.

"Don't die, Kageyama, you jerk," the teen said, muffled into the taller boy's shoulder.

"I won't!" snapped Kageyama, flushing. "Get off me!"

After Hinata had been shoved away and everyone had said their hesitant goodbyes, Suga called out to Komatsu.

As the man strode over, Noya spoke.

"Ryuu."

"What?" Tanaka perked up, looking at his friend.

"I might have been put out, but don't think for a second that I'm glad about it," the libero mumbled, looking like a shadow of himself. "If it were up to me, Asahi would be the one going. He doesn't look like it, but he's terrified too. He's also a pushover though, and I know he wants to go. The only reason he's still here is 'cause I'm…I'm too…violent…"

Nishinoya's fists were trembling as Tanaka formulated a reply. Asahi didn't look too rattled to him, but he figured it was best to just agree.

"I know how annoyed you are," he said slowly. "And I also think this is for the best. But no matter what, I won't let the others get hurt when you're not here to guard them. Daichi is a good captain, and he's going to get us all out. I know it. But until then, we'll both just have to fight from both sides."

Nishinoya nodded once, limp in Kuroo's grip. "Be careful, Ryuu. I'll be so pissed if you die on me."

Tanaka laughed a little, but it died quickly. "Alright. Don't worry about us too much… I'll watch out for Asahi, and you watch out for our little underclassmen."

After he said that, Kuroo looked down at them and said, "We're going now. Say goodbye if you haven't already."

"See you soon, Noya?" Tanaka offered and the libero replied with a nod.

Kuroo still wasn't putting him down, striding across the gym with the tiny second year locked in his arms.

As they reached the door, Yamaguchi shuffled closer to Tsukishima and Komatsu threw it wide open. It seemed like he'd been talking to the police during Daichi and Nishinoya's argument.

The libero seemed to have second thoughts now that he was seeing outside. He startled Kuroo as he started lashing around again, shouting, "I'll get you back for this! One day! I will! You bastards!"

He could have been talking to the gunmen or to the teammates who had chosen to force him outside. Tanaka didn't know and he didn't really care. It was probably more or a frustrated rant aimed at everyone and everything, now that he thought about it. The pure hurt in Noya's voice drove a pang through his chest and he briefly wondered if this really was for the best.

But no! There was no time to doubt their choices now! Tanaka slapped his cheek lightly to reassert himself. If there was any time he needed to focus, it was now. They'd passed the first stage, now on to the next.

It couldn't be long until the boss battle.

* * *

**As usual, we're gonna thank you for the reviews, favourites and follows. I can assure you, I have a 'follow/favourite' fistpump of victory every time. And sometimes I cry when we get reviews but lets keep that between us, hey? :')**

**Toph sends her love and thanks too, guys! She'll be taking over again next chapter, hope to see you there! Leave us a review if you've got time~!**

**\- Zakuro**

**(Ps, please protect Tanaka forever. Precious baldy birb child.)**


	10. Asahi Azumane

**Hello again, everyone! ! Zakuro here, with another of Toph's chapters. We're beginning to reach the climax now! Hope you enjoy!**

**Yo people. This is Toph Hitsugaya. Thank you all for all the reviews and comments it really means a lot to us. It's great to know that people are enjoying this story. Please enjoy Asahi's chapter, written by me with lots of help from ZakuroU!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 10: ASAHI AZUMANE**

* * *

"_I'll get you back for this! One day! I will! You bastards!"_

That was Asahi's last view of Noya, the small libero over the tall Nekoma captain's back, kicking and yelling and crying out in rage as he was snatched away from the rest of the team. Asahi felt bad but forced himself to watch, knowing that looking away would only make things worse.

"Bye," Yamaguchi said thinly as they paused briefly at the door. "Sorry, guys."

Hinata was still crying but he managed a bolstering smile and a solemn wave. Kuroo was preoccupied with Noya and Tsukishima just raised an eyebrow. Then, the doors swung open and they vanished outside into freedom. Asahi heard an excited squeal before noise was yet again cut off.

Asahi had forced himself to watch his teammates depart but now that they were actually gone, he found he couldn't tear his eyes away from the door. They were gone…just like that. The team had been divided and he had no idea what was going on outside the gym. Suddenly, the ace regretted letting his teammates go. He wanted them back where he could see them and protect them.

The gym felt a lot quieter with almost half the team gone. Everyone left behind seemed reluctant to talk about what had just happened. Asahi heard quiet sobs from somewhere near him but he couldn't bring himself to look. His eyes were fixated on the door.

"Attention." The voice crackled to life, Asahi instantly obeying and focusing on the unseen man. "Thank you for allowing five of the teenagers to leave. That is all." The voice faded away, leaving behind the terrible silence.

"Their parents are probably so happy." Kageyama broke the silence, looking sullen. "Mine are probably so angry at me for staying behind."

There was a long pause before Asahi spoke up.

"Do you regret it?" All eyes flew to him and he cowered back. "Staying here, I mean."

Kageyama fixed his gaze on the ace, eyes stormy and impossible to read.

"No," he said finally. "And I don't think I ever will."

"Me neither," Tanaka broke in, giving Asahi a grin.

"We stayed for them," Suga gave a slight smile. "I'm sure they're not going to leave us here. They'll be right outside if my judgement of character is correct."

"Probably trying to get the megaphone or something." Kageyama smirked.

"Knowing Shoyo, yes," Kozume said flatly, eyes staring blankly at his knees. Asahi felt a pang of sympathy for him. His one true companion in this harsh time was gone. Kuroo had been the setter's support system throughout all of this and vice versa. Now the Nekoma third year was gone and Kozume was left alone with probably intimidating teens who were near strangers.

Even Hinata, Kozume's other friend and support in this terrible time was gone. This would make the situation ten times worse for the small setter.

"How much longer do you think we'll be in here?" Tanaka questioned, his voice oddly quiet compared to his usual enthusiastic self.

"I don't know," Daichi answered honestly.

"I...I sort of wish the team were all still here," Suga said suddenly, voice cracking slightly. "It's so selfish and mean of me but we were all together before. This feels terrible." He hunched over, biting his lip.

The group fell into silence again.

* * *

The day wore on. The remaining members of the team barely spoke, the silence sometimes broken by a stomach growling or a statement that was usually never followed with another.

"Are we going to end up stuck in here for another night?" Kageyama asked at one point. Asahi couldn't remember when that had happened. Hunger and exhaustion were starting to seriously affect him. He found himself almost nodding off at one point before he jolted back awake. He couldn't sleep, not now. He had to be awake if anything happened.

"_What could Asahi do? He's such a baby."_

Everywhere he went, it was always the same. People would initially be afraid of him but upon getting closer, would realise just how anxious he really was. Then the teasing would begin and he would convince his mum to get him out of whatever situation it was. It was a horrible cycle and he hated it.

Karasuno was different. Sure, he hadn't really changed, but the atmosphere helped him and he hadn't once thought about leaving despite Noya's suspicions during the fight they'd had.

But now, the one place he could feel truly calm and relaxed had turned into a cage made of fear and hatred. There was a hole blasted in the floor, the bullet somewhere in the gym. It had been so close to hitting Kageyama. The remains of a volleyball were scattered here and there, seemingly innocent rubber that had caused Kozume to have a breakdown. Takeda had been knocked out, the walls had been shot twice. The gym was slowly falling apart under the efforts of Taro and Komatsu.

Asahi hated it. He generally tried not to hate things as a moral but he knew that mixed in with his fear was hate and anger. He wanted the two men out of the gym right now. He wanted to others back and he wanted the bullet holes to disappear. He wanted this whole damn mess to have never happened.

He'd gotten past the point of hoping that this was a dream. It had stretched on too long and the bad things that had happened would have woken him by now. And the pain was real. The fear was real. No, this wasn't a dream.

This was a nightmare.

There was a dull beeping coming from the pile of phones, indicating that one was going flat. It was persistent and annoying. With the silence present in the gym, it seemed louder than some small reminder to plug in the device.

Asahi shot a nervous glance over at Taro. He was staring at the pile of phones, malicious intent apparent in his face. After the scuffle with Komatsu, he was probably itching to show off his control over the gym. But how would he do it? If he _did _do it at all…

_Beep._

The phone let off the noise again. Asahi twitched as he saw Taro tense at the sound. His hand moved, settling over his gun. Asahi sucked in a breath, praying the hand would move away from the weapon. His prayer was in vain however, the grip remained right there.

A warning. He wasn't afraid to shoot. He was angry now. Komatsu's little spat had seen to that.

_Beep._

That seemed to be the last straw for Taro. The gun was in his hand and aimed at the pile of phones before Asahi could even blink. There was a pause and the ace allowed himself the short-lived luxury of believing that Taro wouldn't shoot.

_Beep._

BANG!

The phone was now a pile of burnt metal, melted plastic and smouldering wires. Asahi hoped that he'd hit the right phone and wouldn't have to shoot again.

Silence answered where a _beep_ would have moments before. Taro, obviously satisfied, slipped his gun away. He glanced over at the six teens, eyes briefly meeting Asahi's. The third year shivered. All that for a show of power.

_Good, _Taro's eyes seemed to be saying. _You haven't forgotten what I can do._

"Good shot," Tanaka whispered hoarsely, his usual volume lost in the severity of the moment. All eyes were yet to leave the remains of the phone.

"He's a monster," Suga hissed fiercely and that was enough to draw all eyes away from the phone and to the enraged third year.

"Suga," Daichi said hesitantly.

"I hate him," Suga went on as if Daichi hadn't even called his name. His tone was taught, wavering somewhere between rage and terror. "I hate what he's doing."

"Everything's going to be okay Suga," Asahi heard himself saying.

"No, it won't," Suga shot back, lip trembling. "It can't be okay."

"Suga."

"No!"

"_Koushi!"_

Daichi all but yelled the panicking setter's first name, hands on his shoulders as he forced Suga to look into his eyes.

"D-Daichi," Suga stammered. Asahi flinched at the desperate tone. Here was Suga, Mr Refreshing, the guy who joked around and lifted spirits and kept Asahi confident, breaking down in front of them.

"Suga, calm down. It's going to be okay. I promise you. I won't let them take you."

"But…"

"No buts, I'm here for you. I'm here for the team no matter what," Daichi said firmly. "You don't have to worry anymore. Let me take care of that."

"Yeah," Kageyama was quick to chime in. "Everything will turn out alright." Asahi was shocked by the determination shining in Kageyama's eyes.

"Mm," Kozume said quietly. He still looked just as uncomfortable, if not more.

"You're so awesome Suga!" Tanaka said passionately. "And so am I. We all are! So everything is gonna be awesome!"

Suga let out a short laugh, leaning into Daichi. Asahi squirmed, feeling like he should be saying something. He wasn't used to this though, he was usually the one on the end of a motivational speech.

"Suga," he began carefully, knowing he was probably going to end up winging this whole speech. "I hate this too. But it's going to end up okay. I know I can't be one hundred percent positive. I know I hardly ever am, and usually you're the one giving me a speech and telling me to believe it will be fine. So now, I'm asking you to please believe me. We will get out of here!"

His words seemed to echo in the gym and Asahi fretted that Taro had overheard and was going to react. Then Suga gently pushed Daichi's arms away and leant out to embrace Asahi. The tall ace could feel the setter's shakes and the way his hands clenched into his shirt.

Then he drew away, obviously having composed himself.

"Good thing Hinata isn't here anymore," he said weakly. "I wouldn't have wanted him to see that."

"Suga…" Asahi stared. How selfish was he? Being scared and hating Taro when it was Suga who was the most affected. It was unbelievably self-centered of him.

"Asahi, I'm _fine_." Suga drew the last word out, probably aiming for a comical effect. "Sorry about that guys. Let's just sit tight. I'm positive we'll be out of here soon."

"Idiot." Daichi nudged him.

"I…I wonder how everyone outside the gym is going." Kozume began, his voice quiet and sombre.

"ATTENTION! This is the police! What was the effect of the gunshot heard before?"

"Urghhh," Taro ground out. "Piss off."

"A phone was shot. No one was hurt!" Daichi called back. Asahi tried not to get scared. Taro's nerves were fraying. He was starting to lose control. It was obvious.

"Thank you. We are still working on a solution. Just stay calm."

"We'll try," Tanaka said sarcastically, probably not loud enough for anyone outside to hear.

With this comment, the small group fell into abrupt silence. Asahi began to fidget. His mind wandered to Nishinoya and the others. How were they? Had they been forced to go home? Or were they vying for information outside, pressing the police to find a way to get them out?

Asahi hoped that the latter was true. It was stupid, but he wanted the others close by. He wanted to know that they hadn't been completely abandoned.

_Don't be stupid. They had to leave._

He knew that. Of course he did. Hinata and Yamaguchi had been breaking down in front of their eyes. Even Tsukishima looked like he was barely keeping it together. Kuroo, he seemed worn out and twitchy, scared that the gun would be at his forehead again.

And Nishinoya…he had been enraged, _furious_ at the events taking place. If they hadn't gotten him out, who knew what would have happened.

_They could have shot Noya!_

Suddenly all the selfish thoughts of the others staying drained away. It was for the best. It was saving lives. No one was going to die this way. The police would find a way to save them and everyone would be fine, including Takeda.

Strangely comforted, Asahi settled back, hoping maybe he could doze off for a quick nap. He liked the sound of that.

* * *

"_Hey Noya, what are you reading?"_

"_Huh? Oh, Asahi! It's this book about kids in this hostage situation. Ryuu leant it to me."_

"_Oh… Is it good?"_

"_Yeah… Pretty nerve racking though. I'm kinda scared to keep reading."_

"_That's not like you. In fact, you reading in general is something else on it's own…"_

"_Say, how about you read it after me and we can compare our thoughts?"_

"_Okay…"_

"_Hey, Asahi?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Thanks for coming back to the team."_

"_Huh? What brought that about?"_

"_Nothing, really… Hey, lets go get some icy poles!"_

"_Noya!"_

"_You can pay!"_

"_But I… Okay. Let's go."_

"_You're the best, Asahi!"_

* * *

"Asahi…"

"Huh…" Who was calling his name?

"Asahi, you need to wake up."

Was he late to school? He hated being late. Everyone would stare at him when he walked in and Daichi would get mad at him for missing practice.

"Asahi, you great lug!" Something hit him hard in the chest and he yelled, sitting up straight in panic. Suga was sitting there, his balled fist raised in the air.

"Good. You're up," Daichi said from behind Suga. Asahi sat up, looking around. It was still light in the gym. Nothing seemed to have changed from before he had went to sleep. His mouth was dry and his back ached.

"Do we have any water?" he croaked, hating how weak he sounded. Suga shrugged.

"I'll check!" Tanaka burst into Asahi's line of view. He promptly disappeared, searching for the water.

"How long was I asleep?" Asahi asked Suga, hoping for a clear answer.

"You have the watch." Suga shrugged again. "I honestly don't know. It couldn't be more than an hour, I reckon."

"I have water!" Tanaka appeared again with a bunch of water bottles.

"Whose are they?" Kageyama asked.

"The team's," Tanaka said, bewildered.

"I'm not drinking out of a bottle that isn't mine." Kageyama said stubbornly.

"Just drink from yours then," Kozume muttered, picking his grey bottle out of the pile. "Simple."

The remaining team members took their bottles, leaving an odd collection left. Kageyama shook his black bottle, looking dismayed.

"It's empty." He looked almost shocked. Tanaka started laughing, shaking his nearly full bottle near the disgruntled setter's head.

"You'll just have to use another one," Suga said sympathetically, drinking from a bottle almost identical to Daichi's. Asahi smiled. He'd gotten the two matching bottles on Suga's birthday last year. Then on Daichi's, he given them dog tags. They really were the best of friends.

"You could use Tsukishima's," Tanaka said teasingly, holding up a neatly labeled bottle with faded pictures. They were probably dinosaurs or something.

"Get stuffed," Kageyama spat back.

"Please don't fight," Asahi pleaded.

"Yamaguchi's?" Tanaka shook another bottle.

"No."

"Kuroo's?"

"No way!"

"Nishinoya's?"

"Uh…"

"Never mind, it's empty." Tanaka smirked.

"Stop being an idiot," Kageyama hissed.

"Hey, have more respect for your seniors." Tanaka pouted.

"Just choose a water bottle if you're thirsty, Kageyama." Daichi scowled. "Or go drink from the sinks in the bathroom."

Asahi wanted to laugh when he saw Kageyama's screwed up face but he just couldn't bring himself to. He settled on a small smile as he watched Kageyama select a fluorescent orange bottle, obviously Hinata's despite the lack of a name. He fixed Tanaka with a pointed glare as he unscrewed the lid.

There was silence as the group quenched their thirst. Asahi's stomach growled, demanding food he couldn't give it.

_The others are probably getting food, _Asahi thought before immediately regretting it. How could he be that selfish? It was for the best in the end. He had to accept that.

"It's a lot quieter without Noya and Hinata," Suga said quietly. The small group had clustered into a circle. Asahi had his back facing Taro and Komatsu. He shivered, wishing he could turn around and see what they were doing but not having the nerve to do so.

"I wish we had something to do. I'll even play Cheat with Suga," Tanaka complained.

"Huh?" Kozume peered at them over his knees, golden eyes overly attentive for how light hearted the conversation seemed.

"Suga is a master at Cheat," Asahi explained. "I don't think he's ever lost a game when we've played."

"That's why I hate playing with him." Tanaka sighed. "But like I said, I'd seriously consider it now."

"Maybe Taro will let us have our phones now since the police are already here." Kageyama suggested. "Wasn't that the reason why he didn't want us to have them?"

"I don't think so," Daichi said.

"There has to be something we can do. I'm sick of waiting." Tanaka groaned.

"Hand clapping game," Suga joked.

"That'll just annoy Taro," Asahi pointed out.

"And Komatsu," Tanaka added.

"Actually…no," Asahi ventured after a moment, hoping people wouldn't take this the wrong way. "Komatsu is different. What happened before… Well, that's proof of that."

"I guess," Tanaka said sullenly. "But if he really cared he'd let us out of here."

"He's doing the best he can," Asahi protested.

"Why are you standing up for him?" Kozume asked suddenly. His tone wasn't aggressive, he just seemed curious.

"Because he's standing up for us."

A long silence followed Asahi's words. Slowly, every head turned to look at Komatsu who was sitting away from Taro, scowling. As if he knew he was being looked at, he stared right back at the group.

Asahi squeaked, instantly looking away as if he could pretend that he hadn't been staring at the man.

"Oh crap, he's coming over," Tanaka said in a rush. "Everyone pretend we weren't looking at or talking about him."

"So, you guys were talking about me." Komatsu dropped into the circle casually, as if he were an old family friend and not one of the men holding half the Karasuno team (and Kozume) hostage.

"No," Kageyama said quickly. Asahi held back a sigh.

"Right." Komatsu let out a laugh.

"Komatsu!" Taro yelled.

"Just a second!" Komatsu snapped back.

"What do you want?" Daichi asked firmly. Suga crossed his arms beside him. Slowly but surely, Kageyama, Tanaka and Kozume snuck behind the third years. The circle was now broken into a cowering row, a strong row (plus Asahi) and Komatsu lounging in front of them.

"To talk to you," Komatsu said simply. "I'm not deaf or stupid. I can hear you. You want to know if you can trust me."

"We already know the answer to that." Tanaka popped his head out from behind Daichi. "And it isn't yes."

"Really?" Komatsu raised an eyebrow. "But you were just talking about me standing up for you. Surely that earns me your trust."

"But you're holding us hostage!" Asahi burst out before his fear could take hold and stop him. "You shot at Ennoshita and you held a gun against Kuroo's head. You want to take Suga away from us."

"I could have killed him." Komatsu said easily. "Both of them. And I was helping get your teacher out. And to be honest, I don't really agree with why Taro's here." He shot a look at Suga.

"Still…" Kageyama began but Komatsu held up a hand.

"Listen. I hate to say this but I owe Taro. We were partners, good friends. I got into the deep end when I was undercover on a drug mission. Taro pulled a few strings. Turns out he had connections. I've been involved in his dirty business ever since."

"That's no excuse," Kozume muttered. Komatsu shot him a look, one akin to pity.

"Look, it may not be obvious but everything I've done in here has been for your sake. I'm trying to protect you. I want to help you. Taro's gone too far this time." Komatsu paused for a moment. He took a breath as if preparing himself for what he was going to say next.

"I'm sorry, okay? I hate this. I might be a criminal, but that doesn't make me a murderer."

"Komatsu!" Taro yelled. "What are you doing over there? Get back here!"

"You've seen what I've done. Judge me on my actions, not the company I keep," the man said quickly. "And just so you know, when it comes down to it, there's no way I'm even going to shoot one of you. I'd sooner die than have the blood of a teenager on my hands. Keep that in mind."

Komatsu got up and jogged back to Taro. The two began to mutter.

Daichi and Suga turned away and instantly the circle reformed. They seemed to be squished together more tighter this time with Kageyama pressed up against him on one side and Tanaka on the other.

"Well…" Suga began. "That was...surprising." He hugged himself. "I guess he has a point."

"But can we really trust him?" Kageyama said thoughtfully. "He is trying help us, but what's to say he won't shoot in the heat of the moment?"

"What's to say anyone won't shoot in the heat of the moment?" Suga countered. Kageyama frowned. "Ah, sorry."

"He's our best hope at getting out of here unharmed." Daichi pointed out. "So, I say we trust him."

"Trust," Asahi muttered, looking at his hands. "I know all about trust. Easy to build, easy to break. Hard to fix."

"_Don't you ever give up on a ball I've received!"_

"Asahi, not now," Suga said lightly. "We have to all agree on this. Can we trust Komatsu?"

"I say yes," Daichi said firmly. Asahi wasn't really that surprised. Daichi often addressed tense situations like he addressed a volleyball game and that meant it was his job to look out for the team. If he'd decided trusting Komatsu meant the team was safe, then Daichi would do it without hesitation.

"I agree," Kozume said shortly. He offered no explanation why and ignored them all when they looked at him. However, Asahi knew the setter was extremely observant and never did anything without a reason.

"I'm with them," Kageyama was next to agree, looking slightly uneasy but his voice was still strong. "I want to get out of here."

"Well then I'm in," Tanaka chipped in.

"I'll trust him," Suga said as if he was granting Komatsu an enormous privilege.

"What do you think, Asahi?" Daichi questioned. "It's all in or it's nothing. We need to all trust him or we'll never get out."

"Um…" Asahi got out. He felt conflicted. Komatsu had been doing amazing things for them. He'd gotten Takeda out. He'd essentially saved Ennoshita which meant the police were called in. He hadn't given them away about the phone and had helped get five of the team outside. He may have gone about it in a harsh and threatening way but in the end, it was like the man had said himself.

Everything he was doing was for them.

"We can trust him," Asahi said, voice unwavering. He felt a thrill run through him. Things were picking up. If only the police knew that Komatsu was technically on their side. Maybe the others had been convincing them.

"So what do we do now?" Kageyama asked. "I mean, even though we've agreed to trust Komatsu, it's not like we can act on it. And even if he doesn't want to shoot us, I don't think he's particularly keen on going back to jail either."

"Taro… Dad is probably going to make a move soon," Suga said distastefully. "He's probably getting really impatient."

"Suga…" Asahi trailed off.

"Why does he even want me?" Suga spat bitterly. "Am I that important to him? He…he probably just wants to upset my mum."

"Suga, I said it'll be okay," Daichi said confidently. "Come on, have some faith in me."

"Have some faith in all of us," Asahi said strongly.

"Hear, hear," Tanaka said cheerily. "We're all strong and cool. We're going to be fine."

"Hmmm," Kozume hummed his agreement…or his _something_. Asahi wasn't exactly an observant person. He got too worked up and focused on the tiniest things that were apparently unimportant. Or he got the idea that he was worthless and stupid stuck in his head.

That was how the whole drama with Noya and that game had come about. He regretted it now, hated how he'd left the team and made his friend get angry. It had been stupid and selfish and beneath him. Things were going to change now. He wasn't going to run like a coward anymore.

He would protect the team at any cost!

* * *

Time dragged on slowly. There was no news from the police. Taro and Komatsu remained in a quiet conversation, Taro occasionally shouting something Asahi couldn't make out before going back to quiet mutterings.

"What do you think they're planning?" Kageyama asked after a long bout of silence.

"Whatever it is, it's complicated." Kozume yawned. It was now late afternoon and they were still stuck in the gym.

It had been over twenty four hours now since they'd been trapped there. That was way longer than Asahi had ever wanted to spend in the gym. Even volleyball crazy Kageyama seemed tired and stressed. They all just wanted to get out.

Asahi's stomach growled for what seemed like the one hundredth time in a minute. Since everyone else had stomachs yelling at them, no one stared at Asahi for which he was grateful.

"Taro, that won't work," Komatsu shouted from across the gym, having lost his temper at Suga's father.

_Komatsu…_ Asahi thought. _He's the wild card in here. We're trusting him. But how can that help us?_

"I wanna go home," Tanaka complained. "I wanna see my sister. I hope she taped my TV show."

Suga burst out laughing at this but Asahi was trapped in his thoughts and the sound was faint in his ears.

"_And just so you know, when it comes down to it. There's no way I'm even going to shoot one of you."_

Of course! Komatsu had said he wouldn't hurt them. He'd even said he'd rather die than kill one of them. And that meant…

"...We just have to get Taro out of the picture!"

"What?"

It took Asahi a moment to realise he'd said the last part out loud.

"Well…" Asahi began. "Komatsu said he wasn't going to hurt us. He said he'd rather die than do so. That means we only need to focus on Taro. Stop him and…and we can get out!"

"Asahi, so cool!" Tanaka cried.

"Quiet down," Suga hissed, though Asahi felt a glow of pride when he saw how happy the setter looked.

"How do we do that though? He has a gun even if we have Komatsu on our side," Kageyama pointed out.

"Kageyama, don't be so negative," Suga scolded. Asahi couldn't help but smile. There was the old Suga.

"Just saying."

"Well _don't_."

"Suga, don't tease him."

"Haha, let him have some fun, captain."

"You guys are loud."

"Awwwww, Kenma, you ruin everything."

"Quiet down," Taro yelled. Suga and Tanaka dissolved into silent giggles.

"That's it, they've gone crazy from being in the gym too long. It's gym fever." Daichi sighed. Asahi knew he'd still be reluctant to make a move, but even he couldn't deny that they were onto something now. "Guys come on, I know it's nice to have a laugh but you need to calm down. Try to be more like Kenma here."

Kenma sneezed.

"We can hold on just a little longer," Asahi said to himself as the group settled back into silence. "I'm sure we'll be out soon."

As if Asahi's muttered words had been a signal, Taro stood up. He began to pace back and forth, muttering under his breath.

"He's definitely planning something," Daichi whispered.

"Maybe he's angry because it's not going to work," Kageyama said hopefully.

"Taro is very smart." Kozume said quietly. "I'm sure whatever he's planning will end up working one way or another."

"Don't be so negative, Kenma," Suga scolded.

"We haven't heard from the police in ages," Tanaka complained.

"I'm sure they're doing the best they can." Asahi tried to reassure him.

"Well, they should do the best of someone better!" Tanaka retorted.

"Come on," Suga pleaded.

Asahi held back a sigh. They were going round and round in circles. They would calm down, someone would complain, a conversation would break out, Suga would calm them down and then the cycle would begin again. Their last small triumph in figuring out how Komatsu could help had been a break in that cycle, and as terrifying as the thought of action had been, he couldn't deny that it had at least given him a tiny confidence boost.

But sooner or later, Taro was guaranteed to pull something. Hopefully it was later. So much later, in fact, that they were safe and long gone from the gym.

But that hope was dashed almost immediately after it had been born. _This _was when Taro made his move. He marched over to the group, gun out and pointed at Kenma who instantly tried to make himself smaller.

Asahi's heart began to race. He shook out of nerves and desperately tried to calm himself. Taro was playing his hand. But what was he planning? Was he going to shoot them all before Komatsu even moved?

What if Komatsu had been lying to them? What if this was all part of the plan and he was only pretending to be nice to them? If Taro was as cunning as Kozume had said, then it made sense that his plan was this complicated.

However, Komatsu seemed shocked, standing away from Taro and staring in horror as Taro held the remainder of the team at gunpoint.

_No. He must be on our side. We need all the help we can get right now._

"Koushi, get up!" Taro snarled, his gun not straying from its position, aimed between Kozume's eyes. To Asahi's horror, Suga obeyed his father, slowly standing. Asahi noted his shaking legs and felt a bolt of anger run through him.

"Suga, don't," Daichi reached out and grabbed his vice captain's arm. "Please."

"Shut it, boy!" Taro snarled, the gun swinging away from Kozume to end up aimed at Daichi. "You don't get a say in this. I'm taking Koushi now."

He reached out and grabbed Suga by the wrist, dragging the third year towards him and looping a strong arm around his neck. Suga froze, eyes wide and horrified. Kozume let out a terrified squeak. Asahi could feel Kageyama quivering beside him.

"You there," Taro had the gun in his free hand and he was now aiming it at Kozume again. "Get over here!"

Kozume shook his head but scrambled to his feet anyway. The gun in his face made sure of that. He crept over to stand timidly beside Taro and the captured Suga. Asahi felt more anger flood through him and his hands began to shake harder as it surged.

"Let's go." Taro began to drag Suga across the gym, Kozume trailing behind him. Suga dragged his feet, trying to slow his father down.

"D-dad, you're choking me," Suga wheezed out and Asahi wanted to badly to pull his friend free from Taro's grasp and make sure he was never hurt again. He wanted to help Kozume, who was probably another hostage to make sure the police couldn't interfere.

"I don't care," Taro tightened his grip, ensuring that Suga couldn't speak. "We're leaving now. Keep up, brat!" This last part was directed at Kozume. He was walking as slow as he could, hunched over and trembling.

"Taro, what are you doing?" Komatsu raced in front of Taro. "You're being ridiculous! You can't do this!"

"Just watch me," Taro snarled, pushing Komatsu aside with his gun hand.

"You're going to leave me behind?!" stabbed Komatsu accusingly.

"If I have to!" retorted Taro, twisting his arm to hinder Suga's struggling.

Suga was now gasping for air in Taro's grip and before Asahi knew it, he was on his feet, ready to run as adrenaline flooded through him.

"Asahi, what are you doing?"

Daichi's voice sounded so small in the ace's ears. He had never heard it sound like that.

Then again, Suga was being dragged away and Daichi was powerless to do anything but watch.

"Suga," Kageyama choked out as his eyes began to mist. Tanaka was deathly silent and his face was a sickening shade of pale.

Taro's walk to the door seemed to take forever. Suga was now limp in his grasp, his air supply cut off. Kozume was struggling to walk, the fear pressing down on him.

Komatsu was watching helplessly, pacing and running his hands through his hair in distress. He was muttering under his breath, looking at Taro like he didn't want to believe what he was doing.

Finally, they arrived, and that was when Asahi began to walk. It was more of a march and he gained more speed as Taro threw open the door.

"Asahi!" Daichi yelled wildly. "Stop!"

Komatsu wasn't going to shoot. That just left Taro. Suga had to be safe. Kenma had to be safe. He would protect them all!

"Stay back! I am armed and I will shoot!" Taro yelled out at the police. Kenma whimpered and Suga managed a choked cry.

Asahi heard cries of alarm and strong voices from outside the gym but it all faded. Everything seemed clear now. He was going to do what Noya had always done on the court. He would have their backs.

_I'm sorry Suga. I guess I probably won't be getting out of here._

He was going to break a promise, but hopefully the team would understand. He was helping them. Everything _was _going to be okay.

Taro was just pushing his way out the door when Asahi got close. Suga saw him and his eyes widened even more.

"Asahi!" he spluttered.

"Let my friends go!" Asahi yelled and he lunged at Taro, pulling Suga from his grasp so that he stumbled to the ground.

"You little brat!" Taro yelled, kicking Kenma out of the way. He screamed and then there was a loud bang.

_Like a gunshot?_

Asahi was suddenly on the ground and everything hurt. His vision was going blurry and the voices around him where fading. He thought he heard Suga screaming and Daichi yelling but everything was going dark.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Komatsu running forward.

"ASAHI!" Someone was screaming his name. Was it… Was it _Noya?_

"Stop!"

_Bang!_

Then, nothing.


	11. Yuu Nishinoya

**Hello again, squad! How are you guys? Welcome to another chapter by Zakkie, and posted alone given that Toph is away in Cambodia. (She'd be wishing you well and many thanks, I know.)**

**Sorry about the late update, and this is another of my favourite chapters to write! I hope you'll enjoy it, and please leave a review if you did.**

**And now, the much anticipated Noya's chapter. I hope I can live up to your expectations!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 11: YUU NISHINOYA**

* * *

"Ah…"

He could hear his heart beating, but it didn't feel like it was coming from his body.

He could hear it in his ears, but he couldn't feel anything. He couldn't feel himself moving at all. If he was, he wasn't aware of it. His world was collapsing around him and he didn't want to be a part of it. He wanted it to be a dream. It seemed his mind had acknowledged this, and forced his consciousness outside his being.

"Ahh_…" _Was that him? Was he making that broken noise? It was impossible to tell.

The lead up to that moment, where the unforeseeable had occurred, seemed to have happened in a different world. Some stubborn part of his heart insisted it must have been, because this _didn't happen_, it just _didn't_. This was Karasuno. This was Karasuno, and that was Asahi.

Raving gunmen didn't come tearing into the school gymnasium, pointing guns and trapping them overnight.

_Asahi _didn't go storming up to raving gunmen, and he _sure as hell _didn't get _shot._

So that couldn't be Asahi slumped there, couldn't be. It couldn't be him, with his hand stretched towards Suga as a sickening red shadow spread across the concrete of the steps outside the gym.

And that couldn't be Komatsu, standing at the bottom of the steps with his arms outstretched to block Taro's aim from the outside of the gym. That couldn't be that damn Komatsu, collapsing at the foot of the steps with a bullet in his chest.

"_Ahh…!"_

That couldn't be him, hitting the ground like a doll after taking a bullet aimed at Nishinoya.

He could hear his heart, pounding in his ears. It didn't feel like it was coming from inside his body.

_"__ASAHIII!"_

**( )**

"You bastards!" Roughly a couple of hours ago, Nishinoya had been shouting and screaming and thrashing as Kuroo had forcibly removed him from the gymnasium. He still didn't know exactly why, or how that had seemed like a good idea. But it didn't really matter.

What he did know was that the intensity of the feeling that had driven him to the extent that he would willingly have punched Kuroo in the stomach and sprinted for the gym meant that it was _not _the course of action Noya had wanted.

Back then, back before the fatal bullets had been loosed.

"Let me go, you creepy son of a—"

"Quiet down." Kuroo's voice had been harsh, the angriest tone Nishinoya had heard him take – with exception of the time Komatsu had singled out Kenma.

"Don't tell me what to do! I—"

"I'm no happier about this than you, but it's out of our hands now!" the captain snapped. They were a few feet behind the rest of the group, being that Kuroo had to contend with his captive's wild lashing.

Nishinoya heard a loud cry from somewhere up ahead. He turned his head away from Kuroo's shoulder as the captain picked his way down the steps hurriedly. His struggling lessened a little as he wilted under the sheer craziness of what was happening around the gym.

People, people, cars and flashing lights. Cameras, red and blue. Voices, radios and a thrum of activity.

They'd crossed to the other side. The gym was stifling and terrified, but it was silent and relatively slow. _This_… This was pandemonium.

The wail had come from the right side of the small courtyard, where a cluster of people milled about surrounded by police and media crews. It was a little girl, whose spiky orange hair made it painfully obvious she was Hinata's sister. She was standing next to a woman who was looking on in complete shock, tears dripping down her cheeks.

Nishinoya watched as the small spiker broke ranks with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi to sprint to the barricade. He sailed right over it without even grazing the high bar and latched onto the woman, who staggered with the impact. Noya felt his heart twist as the guy behind them – _must be his old man_ – joined the embrace without faltering. Hinata's sister clung to his leg.

"Tadashi!" Another woman's voice rang out over the noise, sounding frantic and relieved.

Yamaguchi halted, then stumbled another step forward. Then there was more wailing and sprinting and the pinch server vanished into the small crowd of families as if he had been swallowed up. Reintegrated. Liberated.

They'd truly crossed the threshold now, but that feeling of freedom wasn't there. Half – no, nearly all – of Noya's heart lay with the team still stuck inside the gymnasium. He couldn't imagine how it would feel to be one of the parents who couldn't see their son emerging from the building.

It didn't help that he knew his parents wouldn't be waiting outside. He hadn't mentioned it to his friends for fear of sounding like he was whining, but his mother and father had gone on a trip a few days ago and weren't due back until Wednesday. Even if he'd got out of the gym like he found himself doing now, he'd be walking back to an empty house.

He was outside, but he still felt trapped.

"I was wrong," mumbled Kuroo as he dragged Noya towards the barricade Tsukishima was clambering over. Nishinoya didn't reply to the captain, but he kept going with his quiet musing.

"Before, I had thought that leaving the gym felt like stepping away from a building you were chained to, and that you'd just get dragged back inside since you were bolted to the place," he said softly. "But I was wrong. We aren't chained to the building."

Noya kicked him again for good measure, growling, "Of course not! We—"

"We're chained to our teammates."

Noya's voice cracked and broke off halfway through what he'd been saying as Kuroo hefted him over the fence and dumped him next to a police officer with a grunt of effort.

"Better put some cuffs on this one," the captain said dully. He looked so tired. "He'll make a break for that gym if you don't watch out."

"Duly noted…?" The officer glanced sideways as someone's shouting broke over the crowd.

"Tetsuro! Tetsuro!"

"Dad…" Kuroo's attention flickered briefly, but then he returned to Nishinoya and spoke.

"I'm not your captain, so I'm not going to lecture you as if I were," he said quickly. "I don't know how you operate here, but I know that any sensible team doesn't condone disobeying one's captain and endangering teammates. That isn't how we do things in Nekoma, and I doubt it's how Sawamura has led you."

That said, he stepped over the barricade with little difficulty and started moving towards where his dad's voice was coming from. He'd seemed unbelievably composed the whole time, but as his parents approached the cracks showed in how he tipped his head and his how he'd taken on a limping gait.

_You did that_, muttered a little voice in the back of Nishinoya's head. _You're the one who kicked him like that, all because you just can't control yourself._

The camera crews were pressing at the freed students, of whom all but one was being embraced or interrogated or stroked or otherwise comforted by their parents. Hinata was still clinging to his mother, likewise with Yamaguchi and his parents. Tsukishima was trying ever so slightly to hide his lanky body behind his as they questioned him and shook with relief, shying away from flashing cameras. Kuroo stood awkwardly to the side, being hugged by a mother almost half his height whilst his father spoke and ruffled his hair.

Despite the persistence and noise of the media and crowd on the left, the police were holding them back well. That was their job, Noya supposed.

"Excuse me, son?" The officer whom Kuroo had dropped him next to was talking to the libero, and he dragged his eyes away from the freshly reunited families. He stared at him, not knowing what to say and really not giving a damn.

"Can I have your name?"

"Nishinoya," he answered numbly. "Yuu Nishinoya… Second year."

"Good. Well, Yuu, I'll bet you're glad to be out of there." The officer began scratching away at a notebook.

_Not really! Get my team out and then we'll be talking!_

"Now, you're the one whose parents are in China, aren't you?" The officer tucked his notebook away again. "Don't worry, we've notified them. They're coming as fast as they can, but it's hard to book a flight on such short notice. I'm sorry they couldn't be here."

"Hm." Noya wasn't bothered all that much. It was a twinge in his chest now, compared to how torn up Kuroo's words had left him.

"I'm sorry for pressing you after you've been through such a tough situation," the officer said, glancing around to check if his colleagues were still keeping the cameras and microphones at bay. "But I'll need you to tell me the names of the students who got out."

Nishinoya looked around, taking in the surrounding area.

"Yamaguchi…" He began, clearing his throat. "Tadashi Yamaguchi, Shoyo Hinata, Kei Tsukishima and…Tetsuro Kuroo. And me."

"Thank you," the officer said, in a falsely gentle voice that only served to annoy Nishinoya. "Do you want anything, Yuu? Food? Water? I can have the medics get it for you."

Nishinoya shook his head. This man was trying too hard to be nice and it was just irritating. "I just…just get my friends out."

"Don't worry about it," the officer replied. "We're doing the best we can."

He placed a hand on Nishinoya's shoulder and the libero fought the urge to flick it off. _'We're doing our best', 'we're doing our best'; you keep saying that, but what the hell have you actually done?!_

"Thanks," he grated out, teeth clenched.

"Now, I'm going to have to have you and your friends escorted to where the medics are. We've set them up in one of the classrooms behind the vans over there." The officer gestured, and as he spoke, the other four students were being guided away from their families. They seemed okay with it for the most part, but there seemed to be some trouble involved in separating Hinata from his parents and sister.

"Alright," Noya replied sullenly, knowing there really wasn't much else he could do. And if Kuroo decided he was bringing him, there was no firm proof the libero wouldn't find himself once again physically restrained and carried to the classroom by the captain.

A female paramedic stepped out of the crowd surrounding them, pushing her way through the tussling police and news crew. She said something in what sounded like a soothing tone, but Noya was more focused on Hinata's reaction to being told he had to leave his family almost as quickly as he'd met up with them.

"…listening? I said you should take this, honey."

Noya turned his attention back on the paramedic, who was holding out a thick green blanket, neatly folded in her hand.

"What?" He looked at her blankly.

"Take it. Use it to cover your head if you don't want the cameras snapping at you. You've been through a lot now, but it's going to be okay. Just follow me, we'll get you and your friends sorted out and good as new." She gestured for him to follow, stepping towards where a couple of police were ordering the press backwards to let the students through to the classroom.

Nishinoya took the blanket but didn't unfold it immediately. "It's really not."

"Sorry, honey?"

"I said it's not okay," the second year repeated, clenching his hand around the material of the blanket. "It isn't okay. It isn't, even if I'm out here. You can do whatever you want. Treat me, wrap me up in bandages, send me to a psychiatrist or anything else, but until all of them are standing out here with me, you haven't fixed a damn thing!"

The officer and paramedic shared a quick glance, one Noya had seen a hundred times before. _How do we handle this one? _they were asking. _Is this the kid they told us to watch out for?_

"Until everyone is out of that gym, you haven't solved this. It won't be 'okay'. So don't try telling me that this is over," he continued. "They all need to get out of there. And let me tell you, if there's even one of them doesn't come out, I'll live the rest of my stupid life in a world that will never be 'okay' again!"

Despite his little outburst, the paramedic seemed unfazed. Noya assumed she'd dealt with things like this countless times before.

"I understand," she said gently, her face falling into a sad smile. It was sympathetic, but not in the fake way the officer's had been. "I have friends too. I can't imagine what it would feel like if I knew they were in this much danger, so I have no idea what you're feeling. But I know that there's no way your friends would want you to just stand around yelling about it. Come on, let me at least get you some fresh water. They're waiting for you. Your friends who got out."

"I don't want water," mumbled Nishinoya, relenting as the paramedic eased the blanket out of his hand and unfolded it for him. She slipped it over his head, cutting off the top of his view and flattening his hair. She guided him forwards, telling the curious reporters that the police would be giving statements soon and that the kids were in no shape to speak yet.

Noya found himself gripping the blanket tighter as they walked. It felt soft and alien, like it didn't fit into the unsympathetic cold and fearfulness of everything he'd just been through. Another bout of irritated helplessness surged in his chest, quickly washing away into the empty sadness from before.

"I don't want water," he repeated to himself, and his voice sounded suspiciously wavering. "I want Asahi."

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch you," said the medic absently as she pushed open the door to the classroom they had turned into a temporary hospital ward. The other ex-hostages were already waiting inside, with a couple of paramedics flitting in between them with plastic bottles.

"It was nothing," whispered Nishinoya, following her in.

Yamaguchi and Tsukishima were together as usual, the pinch server refusing to budge from his friend's side. Hinata was by himself, which was odd, and Kuroo just stood in the middle of the room and looked at everyone. He made a little 'hmm' noise and sat down at a desk obviously built for someone a lot smaller than he was.

This was one of the old classrooms they used as a storage space of sorts, Noya realised. They had old desks from when Karasuno had run a class for younger children, as well as broken blackboards and PCs that looked so ancient it was surprising anyone had bothered to hold on to them.

"None of you have any known injuries, do you?" Noya's medic asked the group, who responded with a series of weary head shakes. "Oh, and my name is Kanako, by the way. I'll be helping to treat you today. These are my partners, Hitachi and Ichirou."

The two other medics, both men, nodded their greetings and set to work. Hitachi went to Tsukishima and Yamaguchi whilst Ichirou asked Kuroo to pull his chair closer to Hinata so he could see to them both at once.

Nishinoya watched Hinata sniffling and wished he could cheer him up somehow, but he didn't even have the energy to flash a pretend smile. He just felt drained and shaken and he wanted the rest of the team to be here too.

"And that leaves me to look at you," Kanako said, directing the teen to a nearby stool. He dropped onto it and pulled the blanket off his head, sending his hair into disarray.

"You're Nishinoya, correct?" she asked, looking at the pages in her hand. "I have your school records here, from your physical exams, medical forms, counselling and whatnot."

Noya nodded, focusing on burning the pattern of the ugly carpet into his eyes like it was all that mattered. Having all his records meant the woman knew what kind of person he was, and what he was capable of doing. A little part of him relished in this, thinking, _That's right. Be careful what you say, or I might just do something completely insane._

But Kanako didn't seem to care about whatever warnings his papers might have held. She treated him the same as anyone, without tiptoeing around like Noya was some kind of bomb.

"Okay, so you say you haven't been hurt at all?" she asked, setting the papers to the side and pulling out a first aid kit from under a nearby desk. "None of you have?"

Nishinoya shook his head again. "Why do you need our counselling records?" he asked bluntly.

Kanako looked up at him and answered without faltering. "It's so we can judge how you might be feeling after what's happened. For instance, if someone on your team is more likely to panic than the others, then we'll keep an eye on that person to help them if they feel scared. Your report claims that you're disruptive in class and show little restraint when you're worked up. So we know not to mess around with you!"

She smiled warmly and Nishinoya couldn't help but be won over by her honesty. It was vaguely insulting that they had decided he needed to be watched, but if she'd given him some sketchy answer, he probably would have been more annoyed.

"Okay," he replied. "That… That would make sense."

"Mm-hm." Kanako retrieved a few bits and pieces from around the small room and set them on the bench next to where they sat. "I'm going to have to take your pulse and run through some other little tests, but it shouldn't take long. Give me your hand?"

Noya tugged off his elbow pad and raised his arm. Kanako tutted disapprovingly. "I thought you said you hadn't been injured. What's with all these bruises, mister?"

"They're nothing," he muttered. "We play volleyball, so I have to jump around a lot and I bang into the floor when we play."

"Oh, I see. You do some enthusiastic receives, then?"

Nishinoya blinked at her and she smiled again.

"Don't look so surprised," she said. "I used to play in high school."

"Oh." The second year found his interest had piqued a little. "What…position did you play?"

"I played the one I thought was coolest," she said, deftly unboxing some utensil or the other. She grinned. "The libero."

Yes. She couldn't be _nearly _as bad as he'd thought at first.

"I-I'm a libero too," Noya stammered, watching as she slipped a thick band up his arm to take his blood pressure.

"Of course," she replied. "That would explain the bruises. Now, this is going to squish your arm a little bit, but you just need to sit there and wait 'til it finishes."

Nishinoya nodded, looking down at his feet. His thoughts looped back around to the students in the gym. Dammit, why did waiting have to be so painful?

"So what's the part you like best?" Kanako asked, watching a little monitor on the desk beside them. "Of being libero, I mean."

"Um, probably when there's a ball it looks like nobody's ever gonna get, but then I can jump in and save it," he answered as the band around his arm inflated slowly. "And it makes everyone go 'whoa!'. And I love seeing when the ball I saved goes back into the air and we can get it to the ace."

"Do you have a strong ace?" Kanako asked, unstrapping the monitor when it had done. "Ah, good. Nice and normal."

Noya faltered. "He's a strong ace, but also a scaredy cat. He… He's still inside the gym."

Kanako seemed to have sensed his change in attitude and looked to be trying to distract him from his worry. He appreciated it, even if it only eased it a little bit. "Tell me about your team, then. What are they like?"

"Well, most people would probably say it's a weird team," he began. "For starters, one of our middle blockers is only just taller than me. Everyone thinks it's daft to put him in a position for tall players, so they don't see it coming when he unleashes this awesome quick on them. He's over there."

Nishinoya pointed towards Hinata, who was going through some kind of coordination test with Ichirou.

"Though, he can only do that quick with one of our setters, Kageyama," the libero continued. "He's a really skilled first year who can do these amazing tosses, but he's also good at just about everything else. It's kind of annoying since he's so grumpy all the time, but he's great deep down. And our other setter, Suga, is really cool too. He always knows just what to say when we're feeling down."

Noya felt a stab of grief as Suga's image came to mind. "It's his dad that's in there. We really don't want him to go…"

"Keep going," prompted Kanako as she prepared another item. "I want to hear more about this weird team of yours."

'Well, all of our spikers are really cool too," said Noya, and he went on to explain about how Tanaka made the best noises when he hit the volleyball, and how awesome Daichi's receives were, and how even though Asahi was a big baby, he still had the strength to smash the ball into next week. "All three of them are still in the gym, and I just want them all back out as fast as possible."

"It can't be much longer now," Kanako assured him. "Just have faith."

They continued like that throughout the examination, talking about how Yamaguchi and Tsukishima were nearly always together, and how all the first years weren't like a team at all unless it really counted, and how the tall guy with the comb head was from a different team and that his setter was a genius. Then how Daichi and Suga were always looking after the team, and how the school used to be really strong, and how Ennoshita, Kinoshita and Narita were always fighting to match up with the others.

It made Nishinoya's heart ache thinking about the situation and how badly he wanted his teammates to be safe, but talking about them and how great the Karasuno Volleyball Club was distracted him from that anguish for a while.

The paramedics had fetched food for them from the school canteen as well, though none of them felt much like eating. Despite being starving, the teens couldn't help but feel guilty that they had such a luxury when their friends remained trapped and hungry within the gymnasium.

Hinata in particular declined stubbornly, which was utterly bizarre for him.

"You should eat," reprimanded Nishinoya, though his heart wasn't really in the words. "You need to keep your strength up if you want to be strong enough to spike."

"I don't want to spike if Kageyama isn't there to toss to me," he said, head hanging. "I want him to do quicks with me again."

"Then you need to eat up so you can play with him when he gets out," reasoned Kuroo, fiddling with his shoelaces as he chewed on the corner of a sandwich.

"That's some confidence," remarked Tsukishima snarkily, drawing a startled look from the paramedics. "I didn't take you for the idealistic type."

"Maybe we need a little of that," mumbled Yamaguchi meekly. "Idealism, that is."

"Hmph." Tsukishima poked at his food for a bit before taking a tentative bite. "Whatever."

"Eat up, short stuff," ordered Kuroo again, jabbing his finger at Hinata's untouched sandwich.

"I don't want to," mumbed Hinata. "I feel sick."

"You probably feel sick because you haven't eaten since yesterday," Noya pointed out.

"Yes," agreed Kanako. "It'll be much better for your body to get a little nutrition. You can even just suck a juice box if you like."

The little blocker sat there for a moment then picked up the carton of juice beside his sandwich and poked the straw into it.

There was a crackling voice from somewhere and Ichirou pulled a walkie-talkie off his waistband. "We're needed out front," he said to Kanako. "They want a statement on the condition of the kids."

"Darn it." Kanako stood, walking towards the door. "We'll have to go for a moment, so you kids behave yourselves until we get back. If you need anything at all, just come and get me. I'll drop out of any interview halfway."

"Can I see my parents again?" asked Yamaguchi cautiously. "Can I go home now?"

"We've got to keep you under surveillance for a little bit, unfortunately," Hitachi explained. "But you'll be able to leave before you know it."

After that, all three of them vanished through the classroom door and left the team in a tired and wary silence.

"I can't believe you're so eager to go home," grumbled Nishinoya at Yamaguchi, who squirmed and tried to disguise himself as Tsukishima's arm. "Don't you care about the others at all?"

"I-I do!" Yamaguchi replied in a squeak. "Of course I do! But…I also care about me, and how tired I am, and all of you guys as well… I'm sorry if it sounds wimpy, but I really want to go to my bed and sleep for ages."

"He is right," muttered Kuroo after swallowing some more sandwich. "As much I want to get Kenma out, I'm pretty much exhausted too."

"You've all gotta be joking," said Noya disbelievingly, and he sighed when he was met with stares that were all too earnest. "Well, I know I'm not resting until everyone else is safe."

"Though there isn't much you can do, is there?" remarked Tsukishima, prompting Nishinoya to his feet. "You're pretty much useless to them now. We all are."

"What did you say?!" barked Noya, on the verge of marching over and giving the blocker a good talking to. Or yelling at. Either way, he was pissed.

"Cool it, you two," cautioned Kuroo with a warning in his tone. "The guys inside the gym didn't sacrifice their freedom so you could tear each other limb from limb once you'd escaped."

The room fell silent for a bit, save for a quiet slurping noise from Hinata's juice.

"Grah!" The four others jumped as Nishinoya kicked his stool into a small desk, breathing heavily. "I _hate _this! I hate it _so much!"_

"N-Noya, calm down!" stammered Yamaguchi shakily, still latched onto Tsukishima. It was starting to look like he'd need surgical detachment.

"Doesn't it piss you off?" ranted Nishinoya, balling his fists at his side. "Being stuck here? Out of the loop? Being so useless?"

"At least we aren't at gunpoint anymore," Kuroo put in sternly.

"I'd rather be at gunpoint for a _week _than have to sit here waiting and not knowing what's going to happen!"

"Trust me," grated Kuroo with a sour laugh. "You really wouldn't."

"So you faced a gun. Big deal." Noya turned his frustration on Kuroo. "News flash – you aren't the only one! I did too!"

Kuroo was on his feet now, emanating an anger so intense everyone but Nishinoya was shrinking back.

"Correction," he uttered, stepping closer. "You had it pointed at you whilst you _danced _across the gym. I don't think you realise how different that feels to having metal pressed to your forehead, knowing that all it would take to blow your brains out is one man flexing a finger."

As he spoke, Kuroo raised his own finger and pointed towards the gym. "If you really think you know what that felt like, go on back in there and put yourself on the line. Let him twist your arm like that. Put your life in the hands of people who aren't even your teammates."

Tsukishima was pretending to ignore the pair, whilst Yamaguchi watched on fretfully. Hinata was sucking on his juice carton so hard it looked ready to implode.

"There was no way I could have known if those two would really come back to the gym," Kuroo carried on. "You were in control of your own actions. You got to choose if you lived or died. I had to stand there in the threat of death and put my faith in the morals of people I barely knew."

Nishinoya hadn't stepped down, but what Kuroo was saying was slowly breaking his resolve.

"So don't you dare think you have the right to tell me that was no big deal," growled Kuroo. "Then sit down, shut up, and appreciate what your teammates have done for you! And don't you say you didn't want this! You're belittling the courage they had to show just so you could get your sorry ass out of that gym! They could well have picked anyone else, but they picked you. So shut up and be _grateful _for it!"

Then Kuroo dropped back down, rubbing his forehead. He was well beyond his limit, that much was clear. The pent-up frustration in his words still hung in the air as Nishinoya watched him in silence.

"I…I'm angry too," came a small voice from the back of the room.

Noya looked to see Hinata, having set aside his empty juice carton and stood up.

"I'm angry that it had to be like this for everyone," he said. "I'm angry that Suga has to go through all this because his dad is stupid. I'm angry that Mr Takeda got hurt trying to save us. I'm angry about how sad Asahi looked when his mum was talking. I'm angry about how Daichi has to worry about everyone, and how mad you are, Noya, about having to leave them behind."

All eyes were on Hinata now, and the first year didn't seem to mind. "I'm angry about myself too, because I couldn't be strong like Kageyama. I was…completely useless…"

"You weren't useless," mumbled Kuroo, not lifting his head from his hands. "I saw how angry you were when Kenma almost got hit. And even though you were scared, you still didn't give up on your teammates. And…I'm sorry about what I said before. My experience isn't any more special or important than any of yours."

A pause gripped the room for a moment.

"I'm angry for you too, Kuroo," said Hinata quietly, some of his usual conviction shining through. "Since Kenma is still trapped inside. It's hard for me to accept what Kageyama said even when I _wanted _to leave, so I know it must be worse for you knowing that Kenma gave himself up for you to get out."

"I wish I'd fought harder to stay," admitted Kuroo wistfully. "Kenma would have been safe right now if it weren't for me."

"It's no use thinking like that now," said Tsukishima in a monotone. "What's done is done. All we can do is wait and hope they make it out."

He was met with a few empty gazes.

"Don't look at me like that." He turned his face away. "I'm worried too, you know. They might be morons, but they're still people and none of them deserve to die."

Silence took the reins once again and it was driving Nishinoya up the wall.

"I'm going to get some fresh air," he stated in a hollow tone.

"Noya, you can't lea—"

"I said I'm _going!_" he shouted, and Yamaguchi didn't speak up again.

Nobody stopped him as he exited, slamming the door behind himself.

The classroom opened to an outdoor corridor facing away from the gym, so none of the crowds saw him leaving. He stormed off around a corner, away from the scene. He just needed to get away from it all. He needed it to stop, to go away, for it to never have happened. He wished he could just sleep, wake up in his bed and go to school like it had never happened.

He wished it was all some crazy dream so badly he could hardly stand it anymore.

It hurt so much. He just wanted everyone to be safe. He wanted them to be outside with him. He wanted to hold everyone's hands, slap their backs, ruffle their hair and tell them how cool they were. More than anything, he just wanted his friends.

He was running now, blindly through the empty school grounds to wherever his feet were taking him. His breathing was starting to become ragged, and the pain in his chest was worsening with every little reminder of the team that worked its way into his head.

_Why does it have to hurt so badly? _he thought. _Why did this have to happen?_

He stumbled over his heavy feet and fell to the ground, catching his shin on the step he'd tripped on. His volleyball gear protected his knees for the most part, but a trickle of blood leaked out of a small gash on his shin.

He barely cared enough to stand up again, but rose nonetheless and dragged himself to a bench in the middle of the yard and dropped down there. The back of the school was ghostly empty, scarcely any traffic passing by.

Everything was getting to him now. How selfish he'd been, even in the face of Kuroo's anguish and Daichi's desperate desire to defend the team. Why was he being so preposterously reckless? He knew he wasn't known for being particularly compliant or level-headed, but looking back on it, the things he'd done were way out of line.

Which stupid part of him thought getting so violent was a good idea?

He stood up again, pacing around the bench a couple of times before bending over and slamming his fist down on it as hard as he could. He thumped furiously at the hard wood until his hand began to ache.

"I'm was so useless," he said hoarsely, sliding onto his knees and realising just how alone he was all the way out here. "I'm sorry…" _I couldn't protect any of you…_

Why had he run away from the old classroom? The others were all back there. Now he was just stuck out here by himself, when all he really wanted was to be surrounded by the teammates he cherished.

"Hey Yuu, whatcha doing all the way out here?" a familiar voice asked, startling him off the ground and onto the bench again. His suspicions of who it was were confirmed when Saeko Tanaka plonked herself down next to him.

"Hi, Saeko," he said glumly, swinging his feet. His voice was still rough.

"Aw, come on Yuu, don't pout." She ruffled his hair affectionately but he just brushed her off. "You're out now, so what's wrong?"

"Everything's wrong!" he burst out. "Takeda got knocked out! And Ennoshita nearly got shot! And you know Ryuu is still in the gym, right, and you're just—just acting normal! How can you sit here like nothing's wrong?!"

Saeko was silent for a while. Nishinoya was almost worried he'd upset her. Occasionally a car drove by, shattering the unnerving silence. Still Saeko didn't speak. Nishinoya was about to ask her something when she slung an arm around his neck and pulled him close.

"You don't understand, Yuu," she said brightly. "I have to stay strong for Ryuu's sake. What kind of big sister would I be if I broke down and he stayed strong?" She paused for a moment. "He's staying strong, right?"

"The strongest of us all," Nishinoya promised. It wasn't really a lie. His best buddy was really brave, especially when…when they'd been choosing who had to leave the gym.

"I really messed up, didn't I?" Nishinoya muttered angrily to himself. "Daichi's gonna kill me."

"That's the spirit." Saeko laughed, though Nishinoya didn't really understand what she was trying to say.

"I wish this was all over already," he said to himself. Saeko leaned back on the bench.

"I hope Ryuu doesn't do anything stupid." She sighed.

"I'm sure he won't," Nishinoya tried to reassure her. _Not like me._

"You call yourself my brother's best friend?" Saeko laughed. "You two are so alike. Of course he'll do something stupid. I…I just hope he waits until he's safe to do it."

"Sis…"

"Well, kiddo." Saeko jumped to her feet. "Let's get back. Your other teammates are worried and so is that creepy black haired dude. Go back and prove to them that you've got their backs for anything."

Noya rose, took a couple of steps and then stopped.

"Do I really?" he asked, looking at the ground. "I'm all the way out here, running away from everyone and pitying myself like a loser. Do I really have their backs?"

Saeko looked back at him, a hand on her hip. She flashed another hopeful smile and replied, "You're here chewing yourself out over whether what you did was right for the team and you're asking if you have their backs?"

"You don't understand! What I did was—"

"You did what you thought was best, right? You fought for what you thought would help, didn't you?" Saeko turned around again, motioning for him to follow. "If you tried your best, I don't know why you're kicking yourself about it. Come on."

So he followed after her, the path back to the classroom being a lot longer than it had seemed when Nishinoya had sprinted down it.

"Why did you come looking for me, anyway?" he asked sullenly.

"They let me talk to your teammates for a bit," Saeko explained. "I asked where you were, and they said they thought you were just in the corridor outside, which you weren't. So I went to find you, and here we are. The situation was dire when I left. The little ginger, he was…"

"Shoyo," breathed Nishinoya. "Sorry, sis, I'm gonna go on ahead. You should wait with everyone else for Ryuu to come back, and when I tell the others not to worry, I'll come see you again."

"Wait! Yuu!"

But the libero had already bolted, taking off through the school grounds like a hare.

_How could I forget?! _he chided himself. _Shoyo's been freaking out about sticking together all day, and then I go pulling a stunt like this… I just can't stop messing stuff up, can I?_

As he ran, he felt the beginnings of stinging tears in his eyes, but he dug his nails into his palms until the feeling subsided. Eventually, he reached the storage classroom again and stopped by the door, ignoring the temptation to continue past it to check the situation in front of the gym.

He grabbed the handle and twisted, hoping things weren't too bad. At this point, if anyone had started bawling again, he probably wouldn't be able to hold back from joining in. It took a sudden surge of courage to twist the handle and shove the door open.

"Everyone?" he called in cautiously. "I'm coming in…"

He was met with an unexpected sight.

Kuroo was drowsing in the corner, his unfocused eyes flicking to the door when Noya walked in. He looked dead-tired, propped up against the wall and blinking every few seconds. Tsukishima was sitting next to him, eyes closed with a pair of headphones jammed over his ears. He looked up when Nishinoya walked in.

Yamaguchi and Hinata were sitting together, the freckled first year looking teary-eyed and miserable. His teammate had been talking to him, but stopped when the door had opened. He must have misinterpreted Saeko's words; it hadn't been Hinata freaking out, it was Yamaguchi.

"Noya!" cried Hinata, jumping to his feet and trotting over. "Where did you go? We were worried you tried to get into the gym again. Yamaguchi got upset about it, and then Kuroo started shouting again. But he's alright now, so it's alright. We're alright. You're alright, right?"

It was still a long way from 'alright' in Noya's books, but he smiled and nodded wearily for Hinata's sake.

"You didn't tell us your parents were in China," added Hinata, sounding concerned.

"I didn't want to bother anyone," he answered. "We had enough on our plates already, right?"

"But...you're all alone…" Hinata trailed off. "I got to see my sister, and Tsukishima's family brought him his headphones, but you…"

"I got to see Saeko," Noya pointed out.

"Yeah, but…" The first year shuffled his feet, looking around at the onlooking Yamaguchi, Tsukishima (who was appearing to take an immense amount of pleasure in ignoring them) and glassy-eyed Kuroo.

Nishinoya shrugged uneasily and looked down.

"Maybe you wouldn't look so sad if your parents could hug you too."

He met Hinata's sincere brown eyes, opening his mouth and trying to think of what to say. "Shoyo, I don't—"

The boy just cut him off by dragging him over to where Yamaguchi was sitting and forcing him down. "We aren't your parents, but we can still try to make you feel happy until they come."

Noya tilted his head towards Yamaguchi. "I-I'm sorry about shouting before, I just—"

"Your leg is bleeding, Noya," mumbled the pinch server, ignoring the apology. "The paramedics left a kit here, maybe there are some bandages."

"It'll be fine." The libero grabbed his friend's hand as he reached for the kit, but it was shaken off. "I'm—"

"Let me at least do this much," pleaded Yamaguchi. "Since I was such a nuisance inside the gym."

"_I_ was a nuisance," Noya corrected him, but found nobody acknowledged his remark. Hinata was pressed to his side, holding his arm, and Yamaguchi was gently dabbing at the second year's small gash with a disinfectant wipe.

If anyone (by which Noya was including himself) thought Tsukishima hadn't been listening, they would have been taken by surprise (which he was) when the blocker spoke up.

"I think everyone had the right to be a nuisance then," he said tediously. "But this idiot over here is taking it too far."

Nishinoya couldn't stifle the weak grin that forced itself onto his lips as he saw what had happened.

Kuroo had dropped off, sliding sideways down the wall until his head rested on Tsukishima's shoulder. The pair weren't sitting close together, but Kuroo's height made it all too easy for him to close the gap.

"Pathetic," the bespectacled blocker grumbled as Kuroo muttered in his sleep. "Someone get him off me."

"Just let him sleep," put in Yamaguchi. "He was getting cranky before and it was scary."

"But does he need to sleep _on me?"_

"If you're game to move him, go ahead," answered Noya with a flash of his old charisma. "But I can't imagine him being very happy if you wake him up."

"Oh, for crying out loud," grumbled Tsukishima, rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand. "What a pain."

The libero couldn't help but grin. He talked to Yamaguchi for a bit whilst the first year wrapped a little bandage around his leg. He did it so lightly and carefully, like he was scared to mess up and hurt him.

Noya's smile faded as he thought about Kuroo, collapsed in the corner like one of those freakish dolls in B-list horror films. Despite how humorous the situation was, he couldn't help but recall the fact that Kuroo also had a best friend trapped within the gym. The tall captain must have been completely wiped out if he'd fallen asleep now, and the smattering of bruises beginning to form on his legs weren't helping Nishinoya's guilt at all.

He sat there for a while longer, Hinata holding tight to one side of his body and Yamaguchi humming to himself on the other. The freckled teen yawned, then shook his head vigorously. "No! I can't go to sleep now! I have to wait until everyone gets out."

Nishinoya smiled as his teammate continued, twiddling his fingers agitatedly. "Oh, but I'm really sleepy…but I can't miss what's going on…but it's so comfy here…but it'd be so rude to everyone inside… I have to stay up! Come on, I stayed awake until twelve thirty in the morning one time, I can do this."

Noya felt the two first years stiffen as he rose and told them, "I said to Saeko that I'd come and see her in a bit. So I'll just be going out for a minute, and then I'll be right back. Okay?"

"Okay." Yamaguchi nodded, twisting his lips nervously.

"Be careful, Noya," cautioned Hinata.

"Naturally," replied the libero, walking to the door. "I'll be back before you know it."

He never did return to the storeroom that day.

Once outside, he made his way around the side of the school building to where the gym was.

From the looks of things, the situation hadn't progressed much. However, now that he was thinking clearly he was beginning to notice details he'd previously made no note of.

The first was the tents pitched up in certain spots around the outside of the barricade. They were probably what the police, parents and possibly some random bystanders had used through the night. There weren't that many, so it was possible more people had slept inside the school buildings.

And the day before, Asahi had mentioned a large crowd off to the left of the gym, on the oval, which had all but up and left. Noya figured a lot of them had decided against staying overnight and had gone home to wait out the ongoing catastrophe.

As he scanned the crowd for Saeko's shape, his eyes caught two other people whom he'd willingly battle his way through the throng of media to get to. Whilst a small, childlike part of him wished it had been his parents, he was almost as happy with who he'd stumbled across instead. Throwing his hands over his head in case the cameramen recognised him as one of the ex-hostages, he jogged over to the pair.

"Coach Ukai!" he called out, attracting the man's attention. The coach looked shocked, tapped the shoulder of the man he spoke with and pointed.

"Mr Takeda!" cried out Nishinoya as he came to a stop before the teacher. "You're okay! Wait, you are okay, right?!"

Takeda nodded, his hair swishing from where it poked out around a bandage wrapped so tight it made his head look like a mushroom. "Yes! I'm under surveillance, but I'll be fine. What about you, Nishinoya? And the others? I heard they let some of the team out, but they aren't letting us near the building…"

"Ridiculous," grumbled Ukai, sounding mad but wearing an anxious expression. "Completely idiotic."

"Shoyo got out, as well as the Nekoma captain, plus Tsukishima and Yamaguchi," explained Noya quickly. "And I got forced out because apparently I'm not suited to the environment…" He gritted his teeth and forced the bitterness from his voice. "Say, it's not like anyone's standing watch outside the recovery room. I can take you to where they are, if you want."

Takeda shook his head reluctantly. "No, we'd best wait here until we're allowed in. We shouldn't ignore what the police tell us."

"I think I already pushed a little too far yesterday," said Ukai with a grunt. "Speaking of, why aren't you back there with the others?"

"I'm taking a nonconformist attitude towards the matter," spurted Nishinoya, trying not to admit he'd just up and left without trying to find the paramedics.

"When did you learn such a long word?" laughed Takeda, though his eyes weren't smiling. "I'm proud of you, Nishinoya."

The words struck a chord in each of their hearts and they stood in silence for a moment.

"You… You shouldn't say that, teach…" mumbled Noya, dropping his false energy. "Be proud of the others. Be proud of Shoyo, since he held on for so long. And be proud of Suga, since he's being so strong with everything that's happening. Be proud of Daichi's captaining, or Ryuu's bravery, or anything else, but don't say that to me… I was useless. I _am _useless."

He could feel his hands trembling at his sides and he looked away, trying to focus on finding Saeko but only to drag his mind away from what he'd just said.

"Nishinoya," said Takeda softly, his lips curling up in a forlorn smile. "If your teammates really thought you were useless, why would they have chosen to let you get to safety?"

Just as he spoke, the small crowd shifted with a wave of alarm. Nishinoya's eyes snapped to the gym, but couldn't see over the heads of the people in front.

"Stay back! I am armed and I will shoot!"

That was Taro's voice. The door was open!

Noya's stomach dropped as he heard a stifled yelping noise, one that sounded unsettlingly like Suga.

"Out of my way!" barked Noya, barging forwards to the barricade and pushing aside anyone that got in his way. He didn't care about the muttering and scolding; this was his _friend_, there was no way on earth that some random police officers, interviewers and the odd parent were allowed to see and not him.

His heart was racing, beating in his ears louder than the roar of a full stadium of spectators. Pushing through the crowd, that's all he was now. A spectator. It drove him mad.

Taro was in the doorway when Noya reached the barricade. He had an arm around Suga's neck and a gun to Kenma's head. The third year was red in the face and clawing at his father's tattooed skin, obviously struggling to breathe.

But he wasn't looking out at the crowd. No, he was looking at something inside the gym, and whatever it was, it was terrifying him.

Nishinoya's voice had disappeared. He couldn't speak, couldn't move, couldn't believe his eyes.

_Is this still happening? Why is this still happening? I don't like this. I can't do anything. Why am I so powerless? I hate it, hate it, hate it._

He saw Asahi come racing in from the side, wrenching at Taro's arm in a wild attempt to free Suga. "Let my friends go!" the ace thundered, taking Taro by surprise as he thrust Suga backwards.

"You little brat!"

There was an ear-splitting screech as Taro lashed out a leg, catching Kenma in the side. The setter fell behind him, next to Suga, and Noya gripped the barricade so hard his nails were digging into the wood. Taro's arm twitched and the teen knew he couldn't hold himself back if he wanted to see Asahi alive again.

A sick sensation curled out across his chest and he vaulted the barricade, pulse pounding and legs shaking. He was running, running faster and more desperately than he ever had before.

_Oh God, oh please God, don't let this happen, _he thought. _Let me stop this, let me hit him, jump in the way, anything but this!_

No dig had ever invoked a sense of urgency this intense. There was not a single volleyball he'd sprinted this hard to receive. Because if he didn't get there in time now, the game would not continue.

If he didn't make this, they'd lose more than one measly point.

But in every match, no matter how skilled you are or how hard you fight, there are balls you can't save.

Asahi looked so surprised when it happened. Just…surprised. Mouth a little open, eyes wide. He collapsed to the ground, red seeping from under his shirt, and did not move.

Nishinoya staggered to a halt, feeling like all the blood had vanished from his body. Everything was numb and his heart was beating so loud and he couldn't breathe and his mind was empty.

Everything had stopped for this. The world froze like a snapshot of time and drew into itself, everything compressed so tight that Nishinoya's chest felt like a block of ice. There was nothing else happening, only the scene in that gym that he so frantically wanted to be a lie.

Suga screamed then, and that jolted him out of his trance. It hit him like a cannonball, and suddenly the world was spinning.

"ASAHI!" he screeched, his voice tearing across the courtyard like something inhuman. He found his feet again and took off, ignoring the urgent shouts from behind.

Taro took one look in his direction and raised the pistol once more, his face as white as a sheet and his eyes wild like a cornered animal. His arm twitched again as he readied to pull the trigger on the rapidly approaching teen.

Then Komatsu was moving, his face a startling conflict of determination and fear.

Before Nishinoya could do anything, the man was rocketing out of the gym and onto the steps, throwing his arms out as far as they would reach. He was in front of the libero, blocking him from entering. Noya didn't think blocking the door was the gunman's true intention, and he was right.

"Stop!" the man shouted at Taro, but the panicked criminal had reacted too quickly and Noya hadn't even registered what was happening before Komatsu hit the steps as a bullet quickly ended his movements.

He'd jumped in the way to save Nishinoya.

His partner could do nothing but stare, stare in complete shock at what he'd done as Nishinoya screamed for his fallen friend and a small number of police surged forwards.

They surrounded the place, walking Taro to a wall in the gym at gunpoint and grabbing Suga and Kenma and rushing inside to get the others, and then they were with Asahi and then Asahi was on a stretcher and Noya was on his knees and there were people talking to him and he couldn't hear them he just—

He just wanted Asahi.

So he jumped to his feet and tore off towards the paramedics who were carrying his friend away. Hands grabbed at him but he shook them away and ran, ran because he _needed _Asahi to be okay, because this was all his fault and he was _useless._

He didn't realise he was shouting and wailing and calling for Asahi at the time. Arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him backwards, trying to keep him away from the only thing that mattered.

So he _fought._

He ripped his body free of those people, kicking at their stomachs and swinging fists anywhere he could. He scratched at bare skin, head-butted exposed necks and rammed his elbow into anything that got close. He slammed full-force into owner of the next hand that grabbed his shoulder, yelling and crying and not even knowing who he was anymore.

They hadn't been aiming to hurt him, but now that the libero was flying at them and lashing out and screaming and _biting_, there was no way to evade using the occasional hit. Noya felt the blows land, but he didn't feel the pain.

Through a haze of tears and blue uniforms, he saw the stretcher disappear into an ambulance, which shattered the air with a drilling siren and took off around a building.

And then he fell, down onto his knees and thumped his fist into the ground because _why_?

Why, why, _why,_ couldn't he have saved_ just this one irreplaceable point?_

"Yuu Nishinoya! Cease your resistance and stand down, or you will be arrested!"

_Are you still talking?! Leave me alone!_

"Not until I see Asahi!" he insisted wrathfully, drawing himself back up to his rather unimpressive full height. His voice was hoarse from shouting now. "I want to see him! Take me to where Asahi is!"

"We can take you to the hospital," said one of the policemen, most of whom had backed away into a cautious circle surrounding the libero. "But the condition of your friend is uncertain, so you won't be able to—"

"Then screw you!" Noya retorted wildly, coughing a little as a sting hit the back of his throat. "I don't care what you say, I want to see Asahi! Let me see him!"

"Nishinoya, please—"

"Shut up! Shut _up!_" It was useless now. Asahi was long gone. But acknowledging that fact didn't make it hurt any less. "Bring him back! Bring him back here right now!"

"Yuu Nishinoya!"

A new voice speared clean through the rumble of the police, like the singing of a bird over the rustle of forest leaves. Heads turned in the direction of the speaker and Noya recognised the voice immediately.

_Kiyoko!_ The thought of the manager slammed into his head like a brick. He hadn't stopped to think about how stressful it must have been on her, receiving the texts from within the gym and waiting to hear what scant news came back in return. He'd been so busy agonising over the fate of his teammates within the hall that he'd forgotten those outside.

The chief must have sensed his change in attitude, since the motion of his hand sent the surrounding ranks back to let Shimizu through.

_No, _he thought desperately. _I don't want her to be here. I don't want her to see me now. Please, I can't…_

"Nishinoya!" The manager stepped into the makeshift clearing in the centre of the group of police, shooting anxious glances at the men.

_Too late._

"Kiyoko, I—"

"Don't say anything," Shimizu broke in, stepping closer and placing her hands on his shoulders. "Don't. Just calm down. Let them take you to the hospital."

"But this is all my fau—"

"Don't…" she said softly, and before Noya could react he found himself caught in her embrace. The sheer relief in her tone overwhelmed him, the sudden lack of anger knocking him into a spin. "…say anything. Everyone's waiting for you. Don't make it harder for them than it has to be."

"I…" He found himself wilting away now, his fury simmering away to a horrible, empty realisation. The sensation was so sickeningly hollow that he found his muscles going slack and shaky.

"Don't make it harder for yourself."

Nishinoya squeezed his eyes shut and refused to return the hug.

"I'm sorry, Kiyoko," he whispered huskily. "I've already let them down more than I could ever try to repay."

**( )**

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

Noya was sitting on the floor in a hospital corridor.

He'd been driven in the back of a cold and foreign paramedic's van, alone, kept apart from his teammates because the police were worried about his volatile nature. Now he was with them again but he'd chosen to ignore the few questions they asked him and sit on in silence.

The cut on his leg was stinging but he didn't really feel it. His eyes and throat were itchy, like he'd been swimming in the ocean. His hands were cold, there were bruises on his arms and sides and he'd torn a fingernail, but he really didn't care.

He was hugging his knees like a little kid, pressed to the wall in between two seats. Daichi was sitting on one side, leaning forward with his fingers interlocked. His eyes were glazed, staring at nothing as he was lost in his thoughts.

The other seat was occupied by Suga, sitting back and gazing emptily at the ceiling. His face was pale, eyes red rimmed and hands twitching. A large, discoloured bruise was forming on the setter's neck, a sickening reminder of what his father had done.

They didn't know how long they'd been sitting there like that.

Some of the other students were in the hospital, and some had gone home. Yamaguchi had been taken away before they'd even left school grounds, and they hadn't seen much of Kageyama before his parents had whisked him off.

Hinata had disappeared as well. Nishinoya hadn't seen him, but he'd overheard the others murmuring about how he'd been in hysterics before he'd left. Something about freaking out and crying so hard he'd made himself sick.

They'd been muttering about _him _too, about how he'd flown off the handle at the police and something about leaving him to himself until the whole thing blew over.

But things like this didn't just _blow over._

Asahi had disappeared from view now. They weren't allowed to see him, despite knowing he was only on the other side of the door across the hall. There was no update on his situation. They didn't know if he'd been grazed and was sitting around, or was fighting for his life in surgery. To them, it seemed like Asahi could be dead and they wouldn't even know.

Kenma had dropped by their spot, but he hadn't said anything. He was being treated for the brutal stomp kick Taro had dealt him, moving slowly and wincing each time his injured side was pressured. They'd been assured his ribs were not broken, but the setter looked so fragile that they might just crack if he wasn't careful.

Not long after, Kuroo had made his appearance under the pretext of looking for Kenma. He'd exchanged a few brief words with Daichi, but neither of them were much in the mood for chat. Noya remembered that the Nekoma captain was one of the few amongst them who had managed to catch any sleep at all, but it looked to have worked against him in some way. He looked beyond beat as he sauntered away down the corridor.

Now it had come to Tanaka.

"Da…Daichi?" The second year's head appeared at the end of the corridor, prompting Daichi's attention off the floor for once. He didn't say anything.

Tanaka inched around the corner and up towards them, looking around the area gingerly.

"What is it, Tanaka?" asked Suga, and his voice was so emotionless it made the second year flinch.

"I just…" He swallowed. "Well, it's getting late and you've been waiting out here all this time now, so…I was wondering if you wanted to get washed up. And maybe get Noya's bruises treated…"

"They don't need treated," harshed Nishinoya and Tanaka looked away quickly.

"But they fixed Suga's neck, right?" the spiker prompted warily. "It feels better like that, right?"

Suga shrugged, still staring at the ceiling.

Tanaka pressed his lips into a line and folded his arms frustratedly. "You're all being ridiculous," he muttered, and then slapped his chin like he regretted saying it.

But Daichi finally moved, sitting up straight. "You know, you're right," he said, and his voice was raw from not having spoken in so long. "It isn't like we can do anything, sitting here like this."

Suga moved too, shifting his gaze from the ceiling to his friend. "We can't," he agreed.

"I'm not leaving," growled Noya, shifting back further between the chairs.

"Nishinoya," said Suga softly, standing up and reaching for the little second year. "Come with us. We can't do anything for Asahi out here."

"I couldn't do anything for him back at school either!" exclaimed Noya, smacking the hand away. "Just leave me alone!"

"I want you to come with us," argued Suga. "I…I don't want us to be separated now."

So Noya ended up being coaxed along to the hospital shower block Tanaka had directed them to, Suga towing both him and Daichi along by their hands.

They left Tanaka to mind the corridor and upon casting a backwards glance, Noya could see the pain he'd fought to keep off his face when talking to them make itself obvious in how he slouched there.

_I don't know why he's trying so hard_, the teen thought bleakly. _We all know he's just as bad as the rest of us._

Watching Tanaka try to keep up everyone's hopes with his own false enthusiasm was painful. He talked warmly and patted shoulders, but it didn't really help to see his eyes raw from tears he'd tried to keep hidden.

_Don't lie. It doesn't suit you._

Now Noya was just standing in the weak stream of the shower, letting the boiling water sear at his skin without bothering to turn on the cold. There were bruises all up his arms and on his shoulders, the cut on his shin burning as the hot water washed it clean.

As he saw the tinted water run off his foot, he couldn't help but remember the pools of red on the gym steps earlier that day. It seemed like an eternity ago, but fresh in his mind like it was still happening now.

_Why the hell did you sacrifice yourself for me? _he thought, digging his nails into his palm. He had no doubt Komatsu knew he hated the man, so why the _hell_ had he jumped in the way of the bullet?

_And why didn't you save Asahi instead?!_

He felt sick, and raced to dry himself off in an attempt to force his mind off the image.

How the hell had a normal day's practise ended up like this?

Daichi's parents had left him spare clothes when finding out the third year had no intention of leaving the hospital. Likewise had Suga's mother, although she'd been rushed off by the police before Suga could get a word in edgewise.

_Cruel,_ Nishinoya couldn't help but think shortly, hating the police for making the third year suffer like that.

Since his parents had only just managed to find a plane, the only thing he had to wear was his scuffed up sports gear and a 'seize the day!' T-shirt which had a tear in the seam from an officer who'd been a little too rough.

Suga refused to let him get away with the dirty clothes, so now he found himself kicking his feet back and forth on a bench outside the showers, wearing a pair of Daichi's shorts that were guaranteed to slip down if he didn't tie the belt a few notches tighter and a T-shirt of Suga's that still hung off his shoulders like an art smock.

He lacked the motivation to go about meticulously spiking his hair, so there was no doubt in his mind that the first nurse to come across him would certainly ask why his mother hadn't taken him to the children's ward.

After a while, he realised Suga and Daichi were taking an awfully long time to get dressed. He stood up and stepped back inside the shower block, where he spotted the pair. Daichi was sitting on a lone bench, his head bowed and having given up on a sock pulled halfway over his foot.

Suga had his forehead buried in the captain's shoulder, shaking with sobs as he pulled his T-shirt down over his midriff.

"Why did this have to happen?" he choked out, tears soaking Daichi's shirt. The captain didn't reply, just bit his lip and stared at the ground. "Why did it have to be Asahi? It should have been me! It's _my _fault this happened! It's _my _dad! Why, Daichi?"

"I don't know," whispered Daichi. "I don't know. I don't know."

"It hurts…" Suga moaned sorrowfully, muffled into his friend's shoulder. "It hurts so much…"

Noya whimpered and dashed forwards, thudding into their sides and twisting his hands into their shirts.

"I just want him to be okay!" he found himself wailing, not even caring about appearances anymore. "If I'd been faster, he wouldn't have been shot! I could have saved him, but I wasn't fast enough! _I could have saved him!_"

So what if he looked like a seven-year-old in these oversized clothes and floppy hair, crying his eyes out and yelling about how he wanted his friend back! Asahi wouldn't care! Asahi was always there! Asahi was so nice and so helpful and so kind and he couldn't just be _gone!_

"I shouldn't have let him go," mumbled Daichi, trembling next to Nishinoya. He took a shuddering breath. "I could have stopped him, but I didn't. Maybe then things wouldn't have turned out like this."

The three of them stayed like that for a while, none of them knew quite how long.

"I want…to see Asahi…" cried Noya, stricken and frustrated, and Suga wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Me too," replied Daichi, and for once Nishinoya could tell he was crying. He grasped the sleeve of Noya's shirt and exclaimed, "Dammit, I was so stupid! I sh-should have stopped him!"

"If I had just gone with my dad at the start, none of this would have happened!"

"I should have moved fa-faster!"

_Why Asahi? _thought Noya helplessly, feeling Daichi shift to wipe his face with his free shoulder. _He didn't deserve it! None of us did! Why did this happen? Why?_

"A…Asahi…" He was hiccupping now, and found that he couldn't stop. _I don't want to have to live without you!_

Now the foundations of their world had fallen, and it didn't look like they'd ever be able to rebuild.

* * *

**That was Nishinoya for you! And also, a message from our friend and sponsor;**

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**Til next time! Thank you for reading!**


	12. Koushi Sugawara

**Oh my gosh, we're both super-sorry to have left the update so long, but with certain things like school trips and sprained ankles, we kind of ot caught up in the madness... ; v ;**

**Hope you can forgive us, and here's the next chapter! After this, only two to go! Take it away, Toph!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 12: KOUSHI SUGAWARA**

* * *

Koushi Sugawara was a firm believer in being optimistic. The best way to handle something was to smile and push through. Sure things seemed dark at the moment but like the cliche quote, there was always light at the end of the tunnel. It was a matter of being strong enough to make it to the light.

Right now, Suga felt like there would never be any light in his life again. Everything was falling down around him. His face was strained from forcing smile after smile and his throat hurt so much from when his dad had choked him. His head pounded painfully from crying and lack of sleep, food and water.

And his heart ached.

It ached for his precious teammates, so shocked and devastated and hurt by the situation. It ached for Noya, crying over Asahi whose fate was unknown. It ached for Asahi, possibly dead or dying in a hospital bed, away from the comfort of the team. It ached for family members who had been forced to wait outside without any news on their children stuck in the gym.

And his heart ached for himself. It was so selfish and stupid but right now, he pitied himself. And he hated himself. This was _his _dad and he had been coming to get _him _and now…there was blood on Suga's hands. He didn't really mean it in the metaphorical sense. Though there had been blood on his fingers before he'd scrubbed them red and raw, he hadn't directly shot anyone. But his dad had shot and maybe killed and it was all his fault.

"We should get back," Daichi said, untangling himself from Suga and Noya. Noya rubbed at his eyes, looking angry and stressed.

"Maybe we'll get some news on Asahi," the libero suggested, voice quaking in the echoey washroom.

"We can only hope." Suga forced yet another smile, standing up and wincing as he moved his throat. There was a deep purple mark running around it from where his dad's arm had pressed into the skin.

Tanaka must have had something else to do, for when they reached the cluster of chairs they'd been sitting in, they found one was occupied by a different, lanky figure, head tipped back and sleeping restlessly.

"Why is he here?" Noya stared down at Tsukishima, obviously puzzled. Suga smiled again, a real one this time. Noya probably thought that the tall middle blocker didn't care all that much for the team. Suga knew different.

Tsukishima may have come off as stoic and a bit of a jerk but Suga suspected there was a whole other side to the first year. He actually seemed quite reserved and dignified at times.

"Let him sleep." Daichi sat down. "I'm sure you can bother him when he wakes up."

Noya sat himself down at Daichi's feet and leant against the captain's legs. Suga stood for a moment.

"I'm going to take a walk," the setter decided and before Daichi or Nishinoya could say anything, he spun and left, trying to keep his neck still as he wandered off into the dim corridors.

Once Suga knew he was out of hearing range, he collapsed to the floor and drew his knees into his chest, desperately trying to stifle his sobs. He didn't want Daichi or Noya to see him break down again but he needed to do this. He'd been holding it in for so long. He'd cried a little in the gym, but at the same time he'd known he'd had to keep a brave face for his younger teammates.

Now, alone and in the dark, Suga could let everything go. He sobbed into his knees, his body shaking. It wasn't fair. _It wasn't fair_. He'd tried so hard to have a positive and happy life and now everything was crumbling around him.

"I hate you," he whispered around his sobs. "I hate you so much, dad."

"Suga!" That was Daichi's voice. The damn captain knew him too well. Of course Daichi would come and find him.

Suga tried desperately to stop crying but the tears kept coming. It was all too much. How were things going to be okay? Could Daichi please just leave him alone to cry?

At the same time, he wanted the attention. He wanted someone to care enough to chase after him and tell him things were going to be okay even though he knew they weren't. He wanted someone to hold him close whilst he cried his eyes out.

"Suga." Daichi's voice was softer now, as if he'd spotted Suga. The ashen haired third year looked up to see his best friend standing over him. "Suga, what's wrong?"

"Everything," Suga whispered, his sobs having stopped but the tears still falling.

"Sorry, that was a stupid question." Daichi sat down next to Suga.

"Yeah…"

"You can talk to me, you know," Daichi said after a moment of silence. Suga wanted to open his mouth so badly and just rant about everything but he didn't want to be a pain.

He didn't want to burden Daichi, who had suffered alongside in him the gym. That wouldn't be fair. He had to look out for the team. That was all he was good for these days, not being the official setter and only playing when the team needed points.

"Suga…"

"Is that all you can say? My name?" Suga burst out. "I hate this. I hate this so much."

"I'm so sorry, Suga." Daichi gritted his teeth beside him. "I'm a useless captain. I couldn't protect anyone. I'm so sorry."

Suga, as well as being a firm believer in optimism, was also a very kind and compassionate person. He felt like his personality would help people, something he wanted to do so badly. But…

He didn't know how to help Daichi.

He didn't know how to help the team.

He couldn't even help himself.

"Let's get back to Noya," Daichi said eventually when Suga's tears had finally cleared up. They'd left drying trails on his face.

"And Tsukishima." Suga gave a watery smile. He felt horrible. His head ached from the crying and his throat still bothered him, especially now that he had been sobbing.

They walked back together, hands brushing as the darkness they had been sitting in slowly grew lighter. They arrived back at the chairs and saw Kuroo and Kenma had joined the ragged group. Kuroo was standing over Kenma, whispering to him and Kenma was slumped in a chair. He looked to be ignoring his captain. Suga felt a pang for the shy setter, wishing that he and Kuroo hadn't gotten dragged into his mess.

"Yo." Kuroo greeted them with a casual wave. Suga took note of the bags under his eyes and the strain in his voice and promptly decided Kuroo needed sleep.

"Kuroo, have you gone home at all? Has Kenma?" he asked, taking a seat and leaving Daichi to take the floor, next to a fidgeting Noya.

"No," Kuroo answered tersely, suggesting he wanted Suga to drop the topic.

"It's nice of you to stay," was all Suga said and the silence fell again.

"Why did Komatsu save me?" Noya asked suddenly, voice muffled by his knees, one bandaged. He looked haunted as he said it, and Suga didn't doubt the question had been troubling the libero for a long time now.

"He…" Suga didn't know what to say. For once in his life, he didn't have something clever and inspiring to say.

"Is he okay?" Kenma spoke up, eyes still hidden by his fringe. "That man?"

"We know as much about him as we know about Asahi," Daichi grumbled.

"Which is _nothing!_" Noya yelled, lashing out and smacking his arm into Tsukishima's legs. The blonde slept on despite this. Noya winced, looking upset at the accidental hit.

"Noya please, just calm down. This is a hospital." Suga pleaded.

"Yeah, I know. We shouldn't even be here," Noya hissed. "Asahi shouldn't be here."

_He wouldn't be if it weren't for me. _Suga looked at the faces of his teammates, from the dead-tired Tsukishima to gloomy Daichi at his side to Nishinoya glaring at him. He knew deep down there was no malice behind the look the libero was giving him, but his head couldn't seem to grasp that.

"I'm sorry, okay?!" He was yelling out of the blue, startling Tsukishima awake this time. "I'm so damn sorry. This is all my fault. I hate it. I hate myself. I should have just gone with him. Then nothing bad would have happened. It would have been better that way. I am so sorry I couldn't save Asahi, Nishinoya. I am sorry that you had a gun pressed against your head, Kuroo. I am so sorry that Takeda got knocked out. This whole mess, I'm the one to blame!"

His throat stung sharply in protest as he yelled out his pent up anger, but he pushed through, determined to make the others understand.

"I shouldn't have ignored the message my dad left. I should have stayed home. I should have done something and I didn't." Suga's voice cracked. "And I'm going to hate myself every day for it."

"Quiet out there!" a voice yelled from somewhere and Suga flinched. He just couldn't stop making mistakes.

"So please Noya, don't get angry at the hospital or the team or even Komatsu. Get angry at me for being born and making a mess of everything," he uttered.

"Suga…" Noya whispered. "I...I didn't mean it that way."

"I'm going to find some ice or something for my neck." Suga spun on his feet and marched away. He hoped that Daichi would get the signal, that the captain would leave him alone.

Where had things started to fall apart in his life? When had he decided that he had no choice but to be happy and oblivious? Why couldn't he accept what was going on around him?

"Asahi…" he choked out, desperately holding back tears. He'd cried enough these past twenty four hours. How could he only be thinking about himself when Asahi could be dying or even worse?! Kind, gentle, fragile Asahi couldn't die. They couldn't lose him!

Just seeing Nishinoya fall apart had been proof of that. The small libero was acting completely out of character, driven wild by grief and fear.

He looked around for a doctor or nurse, half hoping he wouldn't find one. He really did want to be alone right now. He needed time to think about everything and to accept it.

_I know it happened. I know it's over now. So why…why do I still feel this way?_

**( )**

"_Mummy, is dad coming home tonight?" seven year old Koushi asked, clinging to a tattered blanket and yawning. "I thought he was gonna read me a story."_

_Koushi's mum looked at her boy in shock, her beautiful silver hair a tangled mess from lack of care. The bags under her eyes had grown more prominent as day after day had gone by and she was absently pushing an empty coffee mug around the table._

"_Koushi…" She paused. "What did we have for dinner tonight?"_

"_Uh…nothing," Koushi replied, smiling. "'Cause you were busy and I can't reach the stove."_

"_Oh…" Silence fell in the kitchen. "Koushi, am I a bad mother?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_Why can't I pull myself together? Why can't I live without Taro?"_

"_Is that daddy?" Koushi butted in, recognizing the name. "Is he coming home now?"_

"_NO!" his mum screamed, sending the mug flying. It crashed to the ground beside Koushi and he winced as a shard cut into his foot. "He's not coming back! He was stupid and mean but he said he loved me and I fell for it."_

"_M-mum," Koushi's voice caught in his throat. "Is it my fault he's gone away?"_

_Koushi had noticed that his dad had been acting weird. He hadn't been tucking Koushi into bed or taking him to school in the morning. And his mum hadn't made him dinner for two nights and he was running out of snacks to take to school._

"_I don't know…" his mum whispered. "He…he just left, okay? He didn't tell me why. It's…it'll be a mission or something. Right?" She seemed to be questioning herself rather than her son._

"_Are you going to leave?" Koushi asked but he didn't get a reply. His mum was back in her own world like she had been for the past few days. He'd been lucky today, she'd snapped out of it._

_Now she'd gone back in._

_Koushi bit his lip and went to check the fruit bowl for an apple. He cried out softly as a shard of the mug dug into his foot but his mum didn't react._

"_Mummy," he couldn't help but wail. "It hurts!" He waited for to come to his aid with soothing hands and her funny little get well song._

"_Mum!" he called again, louder this time. Why wasn't she looking at him? What had he done wrong?_

_After another yell, he gave up, limping out of the kitchen and down the hall to his small room. There, he pulled out the tiny piece of shattered ceramic and wrapped his foot in a bandage from his toy doctor's kit and climbed into bed, snuggling under the covers like they could make up for his missing father and his hysterical mother._

_The tears came a little later when his foot had stopped throbbing and the shock was wearing off. He buried his head in his blankets and cried. He was hungry and his foot hurt. He didn't understand what was going on._

_It was common knowledge that everyone had a daddy and a mummy and they all lived happily ever after. That's what that boy at school had told him. But right now, he didn't have a daddy and his mummy was upset and he certainly wasn't happy. Was he a freak?_

_Would the other kids at school make fun of him for not having a happy family? Maybe it _was _his fault that daddy had left._

_Koushi curled into a ball, wishing his mum would come tuck him in and sing him a song like she used to do. Maybe she'd read him a story instead. Or better yet, she'd do both. He smiled, full of hope that this would happen._

_He fell asleep to the sound of silence that night._

**( )**

"_Mum, I made breakfast," twelve year old Koushi Sugawara called, ladling rice into bowls and some extra into his lunch box. He waited for the familiar creak of floorboards that signalled his mum's approach._

_He didn't hear them._

_Suga sighed. It was a bad day, then. Well, she'd just been told yesterday that their father had been sentenced to five extra years in jail for reasons Suga hadn't heard. That bastard. Even now he was still turning Suga's beautiful, kind mother into a mess and he hated it._

"_Breakfast in bed then," he said to himself, grabbing the bowl and making his way down the hallway to his mum's room. He found himself glancing at his feet, a pale scar on the left. His briefly flashed back to that night when everything had changed, but he shrugged it aside quickly._

_He pushed open the door to her room and found it empty._

"_Mum!" he called. "Where are you?"_

_She couldn't have wandered off, right? Where would she go?_

"_The jail!" Suga yelled out loud and turned to run out of the room, ready to call the police. His mum couldn't go to the jail. It wasn't safe._

_He froze as he heard the high pitched squeaking that signalled the front door opening. He'd locked the door last night. Had his mum forgotten to lock it when she'd left?_

If _she'd left._

"_Koushi!" a voice sang out. "I brought breakfast."_

"_Mum?"_

"_Koushi, what are you doing in my room?" His mum appeared at the door, hair brushed for once and carrying a bag between two of her fingers. She looked elegant, composed._

"_Suga," he corrected automatically, a habit he'd picked up at school. He tried to ignore the twinge of pain he felt when her face fell briefly._

"_Right, well…Suga. I brought breakfast, as you can see. Then I'm going to drop you at school and sort out things here." His mum left the doorway, obviously on her way to the kitchen._

"_No, it's okay, I can walk." Suga hastened to say, scurrying after her. Why had she changed so suddenly? She hadn't shown any signs of breaking out of her depressed state. Just yesterday he'd had to feed her dinner when she'd completely shut down after the phone call about Taro._

"_Oh no, I insist," she gushed, setting out plates deftly and placing his already made breakfast in the sink._

_Suga sat down at the table warily, watching as his mum set the table. Just what was going on here? She had been struggling as a mum for the last four years and suddenly, she was okay._

"_Ah, I have to go now," he said quickly, grabbing his lunch and making for the door before she could protest._

Why? Why do you think you can just make things better after so long? I love you, but that's not how things work.

_Suga gritted his teeth and forced a smile. Just keep smiling._

_Just keep smiling._

**( )**

_My friends were just about the only things that kept me going back then..._

Suga was suddenly jolted out of his unwanted memories by two sets of footsteps quickly approaching.

"Suga!" a familiar voice cried, a great deal calmer from when he'd last heard it.

"Hinata." He looked up from the ground, forcing his usual smile. He was glad for the dim lighting in the corridor. Hopefully it meant that Hinata and whoever he was with (probably Kageyama) wouldn't be able to tell he had been crying.

"You're alone? Where are the others?" Hinata bounded into view, looking pale but better than what he had been. "Suga…your neck!"

"Oi dumbass, that's rude." Kageyama was following him, tone flat. Suga's heart went out to the poor first year. His face was overcast and he still looked just as tired as he had when the two setters had last met.

"Just down there a bit further," he pointed, his smile shaky. "We…we haven't heard anything about Asahi just yet."

"I see." Kageyama began to walk away again, obviously expecting Hinata to follow. The orange haired blocker began to do just that when he noticed that Suga had made no move to follow.

"Suga?" he asked. "You coming?"

Suga stared helplessly at Hinata, begging the first year to _just go _because how could he face the team again when this was all his fault?

"Hinata, come on," Kageyama called.

"I'm gonna stay with Suga for a bit," Hinata called back and Suga's heart sank. He couldn't do this right now. He really couldn't.

Kageyama didn't protest. He just kept walking, his footsteps fading away. Hinata slowly sat down next to Suga, a small gap between them like Hinata felt Suga was going to break if he even brushed against him.

"Suga…" the first year began hesitantly. "You're not okay, are you?"

"I…I'm trying to be," Suga replied honestly, fixing his gaze on his hands. "You should go see the others."

"But what about you?" Hinata sounded distressed and Suga wanted to sweep the tiny middle blocker into his hands and hug him tight but he couldn't move now. He was frozen in place, trapped by his grief.

"I'm going to stay here for a while." Suga forced a laugh. "But Kageyama…he needs you, Hinata, and so does Kenma. You should go see them."

"I guess," Hinata said hesitantly. He moved as if to stand up and Suga felt terrible for the relief that swept through him. The tears were threatening him again because it was so obvious that Hinata was distraught by what was going on around him.

"I'll join you later, I promise."

"Okay." Hinata turned as if to go, before stopping and turning back. He bent down and squished his hands into Suga's cheeks, much like the setter had done for him before. He kept them there for a moment before pulling away and patting a few times.

"Don't be sad, Suga," he whispered. "And come back soon, okay?"

He turned and walked away for real this time and Suga found himself crying _again _because when had Hinata gotten so strong and when had he become so weak?

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I am so _damn sorry_."

Suga sat there for a little longer, desperately trying to pull himself back together. He felt like an old abandoned toy, held together only from the support of others but useless at the end of the day.

"Asahi needs me," he kept telling himself. "I can't just sit here and cry."

He tried out his smile, praying that it was convincing.

"The team needs me." With his head held high, he marched back to the others.

**( )**

The sight he was met with was almost comical and if he'd had his phone, he probably would have snapped a picture. And if the situation had been a happy one. Everyone still seemed tense and upset. Suga couldn't blame them.

Tanaka and Nishinoya were slumped in one chair together, the smaller clinging to the larger. Tanaka was asleep but Noya was awake, eyes slitted as he watched the door for any signs of life. Suga gave him a small smile and a nod.

Hinata was leaning against Kageyama. Suga couldn't tell if the first years were asleep or awake. Kenma had disappeared again and Kuroo was fidgeting, playing with Hinata's hair and receiving no protests. So maybe Hinata was asleep. He was going to wake up to a strange array of dreadlocks.

Tsukishima was playing with his glasses, turning them back and forth, eyes closed. Suga was alarmed to see he'd pushed one of the lenses out, obviously the cracked one.

And then there was Daichi, Suga's pillar through this all. He was alert, eyes now fixated on Suga.

"Daichi, I…"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry," the captain said firmly. His face was like slate. "I'll ignore it or I'll hit you. This isn't your fault. You… _Why _do you see it like this, Suga? Why do you think we should blame you?" Suga stared in alarm. Daichi's voice was cracking, and with it his stony expression.

"Daichi…"

"Do you not see your worth? Do you really think you shouldn't have been born?" Daichi was getting angry now. "Suga, the team loves you. They need you. _I _need you!"

Suga couldn't move for the briefest of moments. He bit his lip, forcing back the tears threatening to rise.

"Come here, Suga," Daichi said softly and that was all Suga needed. He took a few steps and found himself in Daichi's embrace, so warm and familiar. He kept his tears at bay but couldn't stop himself from clinging to his friend tighter than he ever had before.

"I want everything to go back to the way it was." Suga just kept breaking down but he'd held it together for so long in the gym that he couldn't help it.

"The police came by before," Daichi said in reply, leading Suga to a spare seat and sitting him down. "Taro has been arrested, obviously. They want to speak to all of us but I said they could wait."

"Yeah." Suga leaned into Daichi. "So, no news from the doctors?"

"None at all," Noya muttered and Suga bit back the '_don't eavesdrop' _that rose on his lips.

"It'll take time, I guess," Suga said instead, trying to hide the disappointment in his tone. "And... Komatsu?" He knew that it was a risk bringing the man up but he'd saved Nishinoya. In fact, he'd probably saved all of their lives more than once.

"Same with him," Daichi spoke up.

"Where'd Kenma go?" Hinata whined foggily. He'd been roused from his sleep by Kuroo tugging a little hard on his hair.

"The doctors took him away again." Kuroo muttered sullenly. "They had some X-rays to show him on his ribs. He wouldn't let me come with him."

Hinata yawned, snuggling back into Kageyama, seemingly not noticing the braids in his hair. A cloud of tiredness seemed to hang over the group. Even Daichi was yawning, slowly leaning into Suga as exhaustion overcame him.

"Why did you two show up now?" Noya was asking Kageyama, who hadn't been awake but had been awoken by Hinata's bony elbow jabbing into him. "Isn't it kinda late for you?"

"Hinata bugged his parents," Kageyama grumbled. "Then he rocked up at my house and bugged my parents to let us stay overnight. And now we're here."

"I'm glad you are," Suga said softly.

Kageyama made a quiet 'hm' noise and looked down at his knees. His eyes grew dark once again and everyone reverted to a heavy silence. He was fiddling with his hands, and Suga worriedly picked out a dash of bruises across his knuckles.

"How long does it take to save a life?" Nishinoya asked blankly, not even sounding accusing or angry. He just seemed tired and worn down.

No one said anything in reply to Noya's comment. Suga was afraid someone would bring up the fact that Asahi might not survive but luckily, it didn't happen. Noya probably would have attacked them right on the spot and Suga didn't have the strength right now to hold him back and keep him calm.

They kept waiting in silence. Doctors and nurses and even patients walked past, a few of the doctors glaring at them. Suga worried that they might be asked to leave, visiting hours being long over and the group having no technical reason to be there. None of them were related to Asahi, after all.

It wasn't long before Suga's fears were realised. A balding man in a coat that may once have been white but now was washed grey approached the ragged group and demanded they leave. Suga was tired and scared and upset and this man was being anything but gentle with them.

"You shouldn't be here," the man snapped. "I demand you leave immediately. You have no reason or right to be here."

"We have every right to be here!" Nishinoya spat, leaping to his feet and accidentally waking Tanaka. "Our friend could be dying and you think we have no right to be here?!"

"Noya, calm down," Suga pleaded. "Getting angry won't help anything."

"I'm not leaving Asahi." Noya had _snarled _that.

Daichi pushed his way to the front of the group so that he could wrap a hand around Nishinoya's arm. The libero tensed at his touch before relaxing slightly. The entire team held confidence in Daichi, not just Suga. Even as angry as he was now, Noya was calmed by the presence of the captain.

"Just get out of here," the doctor interrupted. Suga tried not to resort to childish tactics and stick his tongue out.

"We're not leaving," Daichi said calmly and even though his level headedness and reassuring gaze usually helped bring peace to a situation, it didn't work this time.

"Is there a problem here?" a voice spoke up which Suga didn't recognize but Noya, Hinata, Kuroo and Tsukishima seemed to. A youngish woman was strolling towards them.

"Kanako!" Noya called, wrenching his arm free from Daichi's grasp to wave frantically at the woman.

"Who is she?" Tanaka whispered.

"She was a medic who treated us when we got out," Tsukishima said flatly from the back of the group. His face looked weird with one lens missing from his glasses. Suga felt hysterical laughter bubble up inside him but he held it down.

"What are you doing?" She marched up to the doctor bothering them. Suga got the impression of a lioness, fiercely waiting to strike. "They have permission to be here."

"They are bothering me and my patients," the doctor retorted. Suga put his head in his hands. He really couldn't deal with this right now. He couldn't deal with _anything_ right now. And he'd been feeling that for a while.

Everything was so hard. Everything was a struggle.

Suga could dimly hear the old doctor arguing with the medic Nishinoya had called Kanako but he wasn't processing anything they were saying.

It was at that moment that a different doctor approached them, an older woman with a tired looking face and bags underneath her eyes. The two bickering doctors instantly shut up, both looking to stare at the woman.

"You are the…Karasuno group?" she said quietly, her voice still strong enough to make a presence.

"Yes," Daichi took charge of the situation. "Do you have any news on our teammate Asahi Azumane?"

The look on her face said enough. Suga felt the tears pressing again. Asahi couldn't be dead. He couldn't accept that, wouldn't accept that.

"It's hard to say," she began. Noya gave a small whimper. "But we're trying our best."

_Don't make a thoughtless comment, Noya. Now is not the time._

"At least…he's still alive," Daichi said, his voice wavering slightly. Suga moved a little so that he could wrap an arm around the captain.

"However…" The female doctor swallowed. "I have some bad news. Haruo Komatsu is dead."

**( )**

The hallway where the group was situated was still dim and gloomy despite the slowly approaching morning. Everyone but Suga had drifted off now. The setter was tired but he just couldn't sleep. Fear kept him awake.

Komatsu was dead. Died to save Noya's life. This fact had subdued the libero and he hadn't spoken a word since they'd been told. Hinata had cried, blubbering into Kageyama's shoulder and smearing snot and tears everywhere. Suga had wanted to scoop the boy into his arms and rock him back forth but he was too focused on keeping his own tears off his face.

Kuroo had gotten up and marched away, snapping about looking for Kenma. Suga had watched him go sadly. He knew that Kuroo must have mixed emotions about the man. He'd held a gun against his head but he'd also saved Kenma. Suga made sure no one moved to follow the Nekoma captain. It was the least he could do for him.

Kuroo was now back, along with Kenma. The younger was sleeping awkwardly. He didn't have any broken ribs but they were badly bruised and were causing him a lot of pain. Suga wished the boy would go find somewhere better to go lie down but he also understood wanting to stay. Daichi had asked him at one point if he had wanted to go home. He'd refused.

Kenma shifted, letting out a small whimper of pain in his sleep.

_Something else that's my fault._

Kuroo was shifting beside the Nekoma setter, muttering in his sleep. Suga hoped that he was okay and that the muttering was just something he usually did. What if Kuroo was having a nightmare? It was a possibility. Just because he acted strong didn't mean something else wasn't going on deeper inside.

Every now and again, a doctor would pass by. Suga always hoped it was someone with news on Asahi but his hopes were dashed every time. Asahi's parents had also come by but Suga had chickened out of talking to them, pretending to sleep. They had soon left and Suga had watched them go through slitted eyes. A doctor had mentioned a better place to wait for news.

Should he go find them and apologise? Mrs Azumane had been crying and her husband's face had been a blank mask. And he had done that to them. Asahi should never have tried to save him. It would have been better for everyone if Taro had just taken Suga.

Somebody had died for him! Komatsu was dead! This was his fault. And he'd seen the man get shot. He'd seen somebody die. Someone who had worked so hard to save them despite caring about himself. If Komatsu hadn't done that…Nishinoya could be dead.

A sob ripped its way out of Suga's throat and he pressed his palms into his eyes until it hurt.

"NO!" A frenzied scream yanked the setter out of his thoughts. He turned, scared suddenly that Taro was here, ready to try and take him from his friends again.

Instead he saw Kuroo, yelling in fear, lashing out in his seat. Kenma had woken due to a fist connecting with his side and was staring pleadingly at Suga.

_Help me! _his eyes cried out across the dim corridor. _What do I do?!_

"Kuroo." Suga leapt up, dodging a punch to shake the Nekoma captain. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure what to do either. His mind was fuzzy and so was his vision from pressing his hands into his eyes. "Wake up," he begged. Kenma was frozen next to him, eyes wide.

"Ah!" Kuroo's eyes flew open, locking with Suga's gaze and his struggling stopped instantly. He looked severely rattled and alarm, confusion and fear were flashing in his expression all at once.

"Are you alright?" Suga asked cautiously. "Do you need anything?" Kuroo shook his head but didn't speak. Kenma quivered beside him, having slipped his way from beside Suga to press himself into Kuroo.

"A nightmare?" Suga asked. Kuroo nodded hesitantly. His breathing was ragged and his skin clammy with sweat.

"What was it about?" Kenma asked curiously. Kuroo stood up unsteadily and marched away on shaking legs, tossing a 'stay there, Kenma' back over his shoulder. Suga looked at the crestfallen second year and wished he was brave enough to put his arm around him.

"How do I help him?" Kenma said softly. Suga wasn't sure if he wanted an answer. He seemed so upset. Guilt rose within the third year setter again and he struggled to push it down. Worrying about himself would not help Kenma or Kuroo.

"I'll go after him," Suga told Kenma. He turned to follow Kuroo but a cold hand on his own stopped him.

"I never really listen to Kuroo anyway," Kenma said awkwardly. He followed Suga after his friend.

As they walked on, they began to hear low muttering.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it," a voice was repeating over and over. "_Damn_ it!"

"Kuroo…" Kenma started forward but Suga held him back.

"Let me go first, okay? He told you to stay behind. He probably won't want to tell you anything." Kenma's face fell. "Sorry. That was mean of me. Just…let me calm him down okay?"

Kenma nodded his consent and Suga walked forward, hoping Kuroo wouldn't get angry at him for coming.

"Stop…" Kuroo whispered as he drew closer and Suga paused, thinking the Nekoma captain had been talking to him. However, it became clear this wasn't the case when Kuroo bent over, gripping at his head. "Stop showing me it. It's over. I'm safe. It's over. He's safe. Please…"

_Who's he talking about? Kenma? _Suga thought curiously. It was time he made his presence known.

"Kuroo. What's wrong?" Suga walked up to the teen and stood next to him. Kuroo flinched away from him, alarm sparking across his features.

"I told you to stay there," Kuroo muttered without even looking at Suga.

"You said that to Kenma, not to me," Suga reminded him gently. Kuroo turned to look at Suga and his eyes widened.

"I thought you were Kenma," he said apologetically. Suga shrugged, moving up to stand beside Kuroo. He must have been in quite a state if he'd mistaken Suga for his best friend.

"You had a nightmare, right?" Suga pressed on. He was doing this for Kuroo, yes, but also for Kenma, scared and confused as to what he could do to help his friend.

"It's no big deal." Kuroo waved a hand dismissively, but it was trembling.

"I think it is," Suga countered.

"It doesn't concern you." It seemed like Kuroo was getting angry now.

Suga hesitated. Should he keep pressing the teen? Was it his right? He wasn't Kuroo's teammate or even his classmate and even if he was, Kuroo was a captain. He was a figure of authority in the volleyball world and Suga was inferior to him in a way.

"But it does concern me," he said finally. "This is all my fault. If it wasn't for my dad, none of this would have happened. Kenma is hurt because of me." He paused briefly, knowing he was taking a gamble with what he was about to say. "That gun against your head…that was my fault too."

Kuroo's head whipped around so fast Suga was afraid he'd angered the boy. He tensed up, preparing at the very least to be shoved away.

"None of that was your fault," Kuroo hissed. "So don't even think it for a second. That kind of attitude really annoys me. You're a great guy, Suga, and your team is lucky to have you. And you're lucky to have them. So stop being an idiot and realise that none of them blame you. It was Taro's fault. He was blind and greedy and too thick-headed to think of anything but himself. He threatened your team and that hurts. But you have to think past that. The team would have fallen apart without you in there." So maybe he wasn't angry that Suga had mentioned the gun. But…

"If I wasn't there, then it wouldn't have happened," Suga argued weakly. "The team saw terrible things. Terrible things happened to them. And we're all so young. I…I wanted to protect them. It was stupid and naive but I wanted to keep them safe for as long as I could."

"People grow up and they change," Kuroo said lowly and with unnerving ease. "It's a part of life, you know? You're a smart guy. You should accept that. Doesn't mean it has to happen now though. It was probably a little naive for what the world is, but it was also ten times as kind." He shrugged. "Like I said, the team is lucky to have you."

"Well, you're part of the team now," Suga said through the tears that had started to form during Kuroo's speech. "So tell me what's upsetting you." It wasn't a question.

"I…I can't stop thinking about what happened." Kuroo laughed bitterly, tugging on his messy fringe. "The gun against my head, Taro hurting Kenma…Kenma breaking down. I keep seeing it happen. You…you wanted to protect the team. I wanted to protect Kenma. He's my friend and I've always looked out for him. He got hurt and now he's so scared and upset and I can't make that better."

"Well, what a hypocrite you are then." Suga smiled. "Kenma doesn't blame you. And like you told me, people grow up. It doesn't have to happen now and it's okay to care."

"How could he not blame me?" Kuroo burst out. He didn't meet Suga's eyes. "I convinced him to come to training. I'm responsible for his injuries." Suga opened his mouth to speak but was stopped by a quiet voice.

"How could I ever blame you, Kuroo? You're my best friend, and we both know this isn't your fault."

Kuroo jumped, eyes widening.

It was Kenma, finally emerging from behind the corner where he'd been lurking.

"Kenma," Kuroo croaked. "Did you…"

"I heard everything." Kenma said softly. "I came with Suga. I never listen to you, Kuroo." A small smile tweaked the corners of his mouth. "When are you going to learn that?"

"Come here," Kuroo replied just as softly and Kenma actually did listen, stepping forward so that Kuroo could hold him close.

"It's alright," Kenma whispered. "I'll recover. It's alright." Kuroo just held him tightly, like he was scared to separate from him in case he disappeared. Suga knew the feeling all too well.

"I'm sorry," Kuroo said over and over again. "I'm so, so sorry."

Suga turned and walked away. As he went, a dark thought surfaced from where it had lurked in the back of his head for quite a while now.

_Our bodies might recover from this, but can we really say the same about our minds?_

**( )**

The walk back to the others was slow but he arrived and at first it seemed like nothing had changed. Everyone looked to be asleep but when he moved to sit back down, Tanaka, now sitting alone (Noya was cuddling up to Daichi) stretched and looked up at him.

"Where were you?" he asked quietly.

"Helping Kenma and Kuroo," Suga said in reply, moving to sit down next to the second year. "Have we gotten any news on Asahi?"

"His parents came by and Daichi and I talked to them," Tanaka explained. Suga winced.

"How…how are they?"

"They're…coping." Tanaka shrugged. "It could be worse. You know that saying? No news is good news? I guess they're holding onto that."

The two fell silent for a while and when Suga turned to say something, he saw Tanaka sleeping soundly. A fond smile crossed the third year's face and he let the teen sleep on.

There was an air of relaxation hanging over the group, something Suga found a little strange considering what had happened. But he let it slide, figuring that for now, they deserved a bit of rest. After all the drama that had happened, Suga just wanted to collapse into a heap and sleep.

He wouldn't be surprised if the police showed up once it was well and truly morning and not just the early hours of it. But he would be damned if they moved the team before they could find news on Asahi.

Surely the wait was a good sign, one that the doctors were working hard to save Asahi and that he would be fine. Right? Or were they struggling to do anything for him? Was Asahi going to lose this fight and bring the game to an end?

_Asahi._ Suga's mind turned towards their wounded teammate. Up until now he'd been pushing his thoughts away from this path and onto one of guilt, but it felt like now was the right time to surrender to the memories of his friend.

Recollections flooded his brain, all the largest memories of their friendship right down to the tiniest quirks and details. All of these were things he would never see again if Asahi didn't pull through. The little things had seemed so insignificant before, and only now that Suga was faced with the possibility of losing Asahi did they suddenly take on a new importance.

_Please live, Asahi. Please come back. We need you. Don't leave me with only memories. It's selfish, but I'll hurt too much to bear if I have to live in a world without you in it. It'll hurt all of us._

Suga sat for a lot longer, drowning himself in an onslaught of thoughts until he was no longer aware of his surroundings or the time that was passing. What eventually drew him out of his mind was the sound of approaching footsteps. Suga straightened up, hoping it was a doctor and was surprised to see his teammates awake around him. He shot a quick look at Daichi.

"We figured you needed some space." Daichi shrugged. Suga gave him a hesitant smile before remembering what had roused him. He twisted sideways to look down the corridor and saw five figures approaching. So it probably wasn't a doctor.

They came into view quickly, four boys and one girl.

"Kiyoko!" Tanaka yelled, standing up to wave. Noya didn't budge from his seat, eyes downcast and Suga felt the familiar pang of guilt strike him.

"Ah, hello," Shimizu greeted them softly. Behind her was Yamaguchi, smiling slightly as he moved out from behind her and over to Tsukishima. Ennoshita was there, his face for once not looking quite sleepy, rather angry instead. In comparison, the other two second years looked queasy and scared.

"Daichi," Ennoshita moved forward. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have missed practice and then tried to apologise."

Daichi held up a hand. "No. If you hadn't done that, the police may have never arrived until much later and by then, Suga could have been taken." He looked over at Suga who shifted uncomfortably. Quietly, in a tone Suga could only guess meant Daichi wanted his next words to be for Ennoshita alone, he added, "Thank you. And I'm sorry about what happened to you."

"Captain… _Daichi…_" Ennoshita corrected himself, speaking in a whisper. "You don't…"

"I'm so glad you got away and didn't get hurt," mumbled Daichi, cutting him off. "More than you know."

Suga glanced over his shoulder, but it seemed he was the only one who had heard the hushed exchange.

"Suga!" Narita called, instantly heading over to him, Kinoshita close behind. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Narita." Suga's forced smile came with ease, well practiced during their time in the gym. "Thank you for coming. You too, Kinoshita."

"Of course we came. We're on this team, after all." Kinoshita sounded shocked to think that Suga would even _imply _that they weren't going to show up. His face twisted a little at Suga's silence and he continued, "Aren't we?"

"Yes," the setter assured him, smiling uncertainly. "You are. All of us are."

Conversation slowly grew, boosting people's emotions as Narita, Kinoshita and Ennoshita talked about what had been going on whilst they were stuck inside the gym. Apparently the staff hadn't believed Ennoshita about the gym at first and he had been about to face a long line of detentions. This got a few laughs, but nobody could ignore the fact that Ennoshita had nearly been killed for the simple mistake of opening the gym door.

Kiyoko mentioned that the police were prolonging talking to the teens for as long as possible but that it would have to happen sooner or later. Hinata winced at this and stepped closer to Kageyama.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Suga gave a cheery smile, hoping to calm any tense people.

The smile dropped however when his eyes found Noya in the small crowd of teens, hunched on his chair. Even his hair radiated an aura of sadness, the spiky locks drooping downwards and taking a good few centimetres off of the libero's height.

Suga moved with the intention of approaching Noya, to say something, say _anything_, when footsteps interrupted him. It was a familiar occurrence in a place like this. He turned slightly, hoping but not expecting it to be a doctor with news on Asahi.

A young lady walked past and Suga's hopes were dashed when she didn't even slow down. However, she suddenly paused and turned back to them, frowning slightly as she took the large group in.

"You wouldn't happen to be Asahi Azumane's friends would, you?" she questioned, looking hopeful.

"Yes." Daichi stepped forward. "That's us."

"Oh!" She giggled. "I was looking for older and more scarier people. Sorry."

"No problem," Suga said quickly before anyone could get angry. "Do you have news on him?"

_Preferably good. I don't want the mood to fall right back down again…_

"Ah, yes!" The woman beamed and a weight that had been pressing on Suga's chest suddenly cartwheeled away. "I'm pleased to announce that Asahi Azumane is out of the danger zone and will likely make a full recovery."

There was cheering and whooping and Hinata crying and Suga could feel tears coming on too. This buzz of noise was broken rather violently by Noya throwing up.

**( )**

"It was a diagonal graze across the rib area," the nurse explained once Tanaka had led Noya off to a bathroom. "So it bled a lot and he went into shock. But he'll be fine now. It'll be a long hard recovery though, and some heavy scarring will remain."

Suga flinched, clenching his fists as he realised what Asahi's bravery had cost him. He was alive but it was a heavy price. He'd have to work hard to regain his strength and his mental state would probably be a wreck.

_Like everyone's…like mine._

They had all survived this battle bar Komatsu, someone Suga would never forget. Every time he closed his eyes, he was certain he'd see Komatsu, dying on the floor, Nishinoya standing shell shocked behind him.

Speaking of Nishinoya, he must have been so scared about Asahi that he'd made himself sick. The sooner the libero could see the ace, the better. Hopefully.

"He's awake now," the nurse added suddenly and Suga's head shot up.

"What?" Hinata squeaked.

"Yes, he was asking if some people could see him." She giggled again. "He's only allowed two people apart from his parents, though. He asked to see someone called Nishinoya and...Sugawara, was it?" She hummed thoughtfully. "Or Sugamama?"

"Sugawara," Suga forced out, hating how he shared a name with Taro, something that had bothered him in the past but never affected him as much as it was now. He shared his name with a killer.

"Right, you must be him then. And who is Nishinoya?" The nurse clapped her hands, obviously eager to finish with them and hurry off to another job.

"He's the one who just threw up," Daichi said flatly.

"I'll get him," Suga offered. "I'll be quick."

The nurse shrugged, turning round to chat enthusiastically with Kuroo who actually looked a little edgy. Kenma was a rock beside him.

Suga dashed off to the bathroom, finding Tanaka waiting outside.

"He told me to wait here," he explained briefly as Suga shot him a questioning look. "Yelled at me and everything."

"This has been really hard on him," Suga whispered, mostly to himself. Tanaka showed no signs of hearing him. Suga gave a small wave and pushed his way into the bathroom, spotting Noya bent over a sink, head under the tap as the water ran.

"Noya," Suga called. "Asahi wants to see you. He's awake."

Noya's head shot up, narrowly missing the tap. His eyes were wide with hope though his drooping hair hid most of his face. Suga held back a laugh.

"Why?" Noya hissed, his expression shifting. "Why would he want to see me? I mucked up. I hurt Kuroo. I'm such an idiot, Suga."

"Noya, what happened in the gym…that was something serious. It wasn't like those movies you see. It was a life or death situation. Do you honestly expect any of us to act like we usually did? You were scared. We were all scared. It's not fair to base what Asahi thinks of you from what just happened. He wants to see you, Noya. So come on, let's not keep our ace waiting." Suga sucked in air after the speech. He'd barely stopped to take a breath, instead just launching into it. He must have been bottling it up for a while, longer than his emotions.

"You don't think he's mad at me?" Noya asked hopefully.

"Positive."

The two left the bathroom together, Noya complaining about his bad breath, and ran into the nurse who had been waiting. There was no sign of Tanaka.

"Let's get going," she said cheerily. "Then I have to head over to the children's ward."

It wasn't a very long walk to where Asahi was, having been moved from the room the teens had been waiting outside through another door in the room. His parents were sitting outside the room. Noya looked away but Suga said hello, apologising for what had happened.

"There's no need to do that, Koushi," Asahi's dad said kindly. His wife nodded beside him. "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah," Suga smiled sadly.

"He kept asking for you two." Mrs Azumane sniffed. "Wouldn't let it go. He's being awfully strong for someone who was…who was…" She broke off abruptly and looked away.

"Just head in," Mr Azumane suggested. Suga and Noya complied, entering to find a smallish room, most of the space taken up by a bed.

In the bed lay Asahi, propped up awkwardly on some pillows. His hair was down, neatly brushed and falling over his shoulders. There were some odd machines that Suga tried to avoid when he approached Asahi. The room smelt like chemicals and stung his nose. Noya was silent beside him, eyes downcast.

"Asahi," Suga bit the bullet (ouch, bad expression) and spoke first. "Are…are you in pain?"

"It's dull," Asahi admitted, voice raspy and hard to hear. "Though when I move it's sharper."

"Did…" Suga broke off. Should he mention Komatsu? It might upset Asahi, especially since he had nearly died.

"Are you alright, Suga? Noya?" Asahi questioned. "What about everyone else?"

"Silly Asahi," Suga said as the tears began to fall _again_. "They're all fine. You should worry about yourself. We're all okay, and I think it's safe to say that's because of you."

"But…" Asahi fell silent. Then he turned to Noya, slowly and awkwardly. "Noya, I'm sorry. I've hurt you haven't I?"

A tense silence snuck in.

"Dammit Asahi!" Noya burst out. "Stop apologising. It isn't your fault! This is all that jerk Taro's fault. Y-you stop blaming yourself too, Suga!"

"Noya," Suga started to say something but fell silent, simply having run out of energy and things to say. Nishinoya was so persistent all the time.

"I…I made so many mistakes in there," Noya muttered remorsefully. "So many, and it was so stupid of me. I got so caught up in it all."

"Noya." It was Asahi this time. "Noya, please…"

"'Please' what? Why aren't you blaming me? Why can't you all just admit I'm in the wrong?! Why won't you just get mad at me already?!"

"Because we can't blame you, Noya. You did nothing wrong," Asahi said simply. "If you believe in me as a volleyball player then believe in this. What happened was _not _your fault."

Silence filled the room till Suga thought he was going to suffocate.

"You guys…blame yourself too, don't you?" Noya said finally and the tension broke with a silent _pop_.

"I…" He couldn't lie to Noya, not now.

"Asahi?" Noya spun to face him. The teen in question looked away.

"How is this your fault? H-how are any of us to blame what happened?" Noya was getting louder and louder, like a dam had broken. He'd been blaming himself, he'd thought the others blamed him. And now, it was like he was angry at himself for feeling like that.

"Noya…"

"You didn't hold the gun, you were the victim, right? Suga, maybe you're the…" Noya stopped as if grasping for a word. "The conductor. Taro came for you but everything he did was his choice. We didn't stand there and tell him to shoot! Sure, we made mistakes. I mucked up big time in there. We survived this and now we just...we just keep pushing forward."

It was almost like the libero was questioning himself, asking if it was his fault. And it wasn't. He played no part in what had prompted Taro to follow through with his plan. He knew it, but some angry, guilty part of him couldn't accept it.

"It's not your fault, Noya," Asahi repeated. "You were so brave and you helped Hinata stay strong and you fought for us. You were the most determined of all of us, in a way, and I know that you disagreed with Daichi, but… If I know Daichi, then I know that Daichi knows you, and he isn't going to hold your passion against you, you know? Or…something like that. I guess. Ah, that was a really bad explanation, um…"

Asahi seemed to be trying to sink away into the mattress, chewing his lip and tossing his glance around the room. Nobody said anything for a bit.

Noya doubled over all of a sudden, laughing harder than Suga had ever seen. He even saw the libero wipe a few tears away. The setter was concerned he'd finally cracked, but he could see a glimmer of genuine light back in Nishinoya's eyes.

"A-Asahi…" he gasped out between his fit of laughter.

"What? What did I say? What?"

"It's not…" Nishinoya fought to get his breath back. "It's nothing. I just… I was really worried about you. I'm so…so, so glad you're alive. And you're the same as ever."

Asahi grinned weakly, looking a little puzzled. "Okay?"

"Yeah…" Noya hummed after the laughing had died off. His face went solemn for a moment and then a smile broke out on his face, wide and as bright as the sun. "Yeah."

Suga allowed a smile to grace his face. Noya was right, even if he did doubt what he was saying. They were going to survive this. The physical wounds would fade and the gym would be restored to its glory. They would rebuild from the foundations that had crumbled and they would go to nationals as if nothing had happened.

The only thing Suga couldn't take his mind off were the mental wounds.

_We'll just have to wait and see_, he thought to himself as Nishinoya stepped closer to Asahi, saying something about how soon he'd expect him back at practise and then moving on to icy poles. _I have faith in them._

_In everyone._

* * *

**There we go everyone! (Bless Suga too, what a beautiful cinnamon roll! !)**

**Hope you'll leave a review! See you for the concluding chapters!**


	13. Rebuilding - Part 1

**Hel lL LO EV ERY ONE**

**SO SORRY ABOUT THE LATENESS! ! ;**

**We both got caught up in a lot of stuff, but hopefully the length of this update will make up for it. It's written with what I guess are like little confessions from each character at the start of their conclusion, all from different points after the gym. Hope you like it! - - Zakkie**

* * *

**SHOYO HINATA**

"_I can't pretend like I wasn't either scared out of my wits or crying for almost the entire thing. I know I was useless to everyone for just about everything. I couldn't get over that right away, especially not when I was with the others. They were treating me carefully, tiptoeing, even I could tell they were trying not to upset me. It was hard, you know? But like, it's also hard to be down all the time when I'm with friends. They made it so much easier than if I had to be all alone."_

**( )**

'Otherworldly' was the best word Hinata had to describe the experience.

He'd seen his friends broken down, fractured and worn away, stripped to the barest instincts of their hearts and pushed far beyond their breaking points. These were people he had grown close to, people he admired, people he cared about. Seeing them each crumbling around him was horrific and surreal, especially when he himself was barely holding together.

A fear so intense and a boundless love of his teammates should not have been allowed to coexist within him, since all of it mixing up in that tiny body had almost been more than he could take.

That was what made waiting impossible once he'd been taken home from the evacuated school, lying on cushions in the living room with Natsu latched onto his side and his parents murmuring to him whilst the TV blared on, ignored. He was glad to be out, thankful that he'd escaped with his life, but he knew that somewhere Asahi was paying the price for their freedom and he could not sit idly by whilst the third year fought for his life.

His parents argued that it was getting too late now, and that the hospital was miles away, but Hinata would not be satisfied until he could see his team's faces. Eventually they knew they had no other option, since the boy was threatening to take his bicycle out and ride his own way there. He hadn't the slightest idea how he'd cope with seeing his teammates again, or what he could say to them, but he knew he needed to go or he'd regret it endlessly.

As his father got into the car, leaving Natsu and his mum at home, Hinata said firmly, "But we have to make another stop on the way."

The teen was skittish and not great with speaking formally, but he was all calmness and determination when he badgered Kageyama's parents into letting him go. They'd shared an anxious glance, warning that the boy was not himself.

"None of us are," Hinata had assured them with a freakish solemnity. "But at least we can be lost _together_ at the hospital."

That was when Kageyama's phantom had appeared in the corridor behind them. Hinata insisted it was his ghost, since those dull, haunted eyes and that trudging gait had never – and never would be – characteristic of the hot-tempered setter and his signature fire.

They sat in the back of the car together in silence, Hinata's father humming awkwardly to the barely audible radio.

Hinata cast repeated glances at his friend, taking in his slouched shoulders, bloodshot eyes and bruised knuckles. "Kageyama, you're not—"

"I'm just tired," the setter snapped shortly, as if it were a default reply.

Hinata jumped at the harsh tone and Kageyama looked out the window guiltily.

"Sorry," mumbled Hinata. "If I'd known you wanted to sleep, I wouldn't have dragged you along…"

"Not like that," came Kageyama's weary response. "I'm tired of waiting. Tired of waiting and not being able to do anything."

Hinata clenched his fists around the material of his shorts, shaking as he fought to keep his emotions in check. "You… At least you managed not to lose it in there. At least you stayed behind."

"It's not like…that did much good…" Kageyama broke off into a steadying breath. "…in the long run."

The words speared into Hinata like a dagger to the chest. It wasn't only the pain in Kageyama's voice, but what his words were implying.

"You mean getting me out of there had no point to you?" he asked in a small voice.

Kageyama stared at him open-mouthed, his shattered expression speaking volumes about his thoughts. "No, I…"

Hinata watched, seeing his classmate's frail composure collapse in front of him.

"Getting you out was great, but…" Kageyama ran a hand through his hair out of stress, something Hinata hardly ever saw him do. "…in the end, Asahi still…"

"I know if he hadn't, Suga might be l-long gone, but that doesn't make it any less…you know?"

Kageyama was grinding his teeth, pressing his forehead to the window. "I know."

They didn't speak again for a while and Hinata was thankful that his dad had chosen to leave them to their conversations. His eyes were fixed on the road, albeit dark with unreadable emotion.

"Kageyama?"

"…Mm?"

"Are… Are you as nervous about seeing them as I am?"

Kageyama's expression didn't change as he stared at the road through the window. His forehead was creased, eyes cloudy and lips pressed straight. "Yeah."

"Do you think…they'll be mad at me for being such a cry-baby?"

The setter paused again, then shifted all of a sudden. He turned a piercing glare on Hinata, that evaluating glimmer in his eye returning for a portion of an instant. "No."

"Okay." Hinata rubbed his sleeve over his face wearily as Kageyama turned to the window again. "I'm glad you think so."

They arrived at the hospital as darkness began to envelop the sky. Hinata knew Tanaka, Daichi and Kuroo had been allowed to remain in the hospital with the teens who were injured or without parents, and he had full intentions of doing the same.

As his father drove off, the two boys paused at the door of the building.

"What are we going to say?" Kageyama asked dispassionately.

"I-I don't know." Hinata swallowed. "I didn't think this far ahead."

He began to shiver with cold as the pair stood side by side before the automated doors, struggling to work up the courage to step inside.

"I guess I'll say sorry, for starters," murmured Hinata. "Because I didn't help at all."

"What could you have done?" grated Kageyama, though his heart obviously wasn't in it. "I should apologise too."

"What could _you _have done?" returned Hinata as he felt his nose start to sting in the night air. "How could either of us have helped them?"

"We couldn't," whispered Kageyama, his pale face toned strange shades by the hospital lights. "We couldn't do anything. We were useless."

"Useless," echoed the ginger. His timid voice disappeared into the evening.

"I hate myself." Hinata waited to hear vicious anger slide back into Kageyama's voice, the way it was meant to. He waited for the setter's harsh shouting and wrathful, growling tone. It didn't come, and was replaced by something so empty and so _broken_, it was almost torturous to hear.

"I hate myself," repeated Kageyama hoarsely. "This feeling is like…I should just die."

He wasn't angry. Why wouldn't he just be angry? Couldn't anything be _normal_ anymore?

"This _sucks!_" Hinata roared across the parking lot, making Kageyama jump. "Sucks, sucks, sucks!" Then he just shouted wordlessly, smacking his fist off his leg.

Kageyama stared down at him with those lifeless eyes. "Hinata—"

"You shut up! You're not allowed to say anything anymore!" the boy wailed, grabbing his classmate's shoulders. "You're not allowed to say you want to die! Not after what Asahi did to keep you alive!"

"I'm sorry," the setter hissed, looking away. "I'm sorry, okay? I just…"

"Just what?" Hinata grilled, clenching his hands ever tighter around Kageyama's sleeves. "You don't know? I don't know either! Go back to normal, Kageyama! Please, just shout at something! Just be mad at everyone again! I don't wanna see you like this! I don't want you to be all sad looking and silent. It's _weird!_ I hate it!"

"I'll go back to normal as soon as you do!" snapped the setter all of a sudden, wrapping his hands around Hinata's wrists. "You didn't expect everyone else to go back to normal, so why would you think I'm different?!"

They stared at each other for what felt like an age, shaking with tensed muscles and cold. Kageyama's shadowy eyes were heated now, and Hinata's were swimming with tears.

"I don't know," the ginger whispered eventually, taking a shuddering breath. "I don't know why I thought that. You're always so unruffled when the rest of us panic, I thought that maybe…maybe you'd still be…okay."

His grip on Kageyama's shoulders loosened and he thrust his head into the teen's chest in an attempted head-butt, though it didn't have much of an impact.

"I thought you'd be the same, too," confessed Kageyama in a mumble. "I thought there was a chance you might still smile after all this. I guess we were both wrong."

"No," replied Hinata, shoving his head against the teen who held his wrists captive. "No, there has to be a chance. We have to go back to normal. Everyone has to. It can't end like this. It can't."

He pulled back and found Kageyama glowering down at him helplessly. "But what can we do?" the setter asked weakly.

Hinata looked sorrowfully towards the hospital as Kageyama dropped his wrists. "I don't think there's any way we can make it okay again. But if there's one thing we can do to stop being useless, it's go inside and do anything we can for everyone, even if it's just sit there with them."

The two turned to face the door, shaking off the little spat. The wind ruffled their hair and sent a shudder through their bodies.

"This isn't something we can just fix," Kageyama pointed out dully.

"No, it's not," agreed Hinata. "But there's something important we can do, something that we'll never get anywhere without."

Kageyama's questioning gaze followed the ginger as he stepped towards the hospital entrance.

"We can have hope."

Kageyama blinked, taken aback.

"Come on." Hinata motioned for his friend to follow and together they walked inside.

Of course things didn't get better right away. It took weeks for Hinata to stop panicking every time someone opened the gym door unannounced. Takeda kept looking at the students, forlorn and apologising for what he hadn't been able to do. Kageyama wasn't himself for a long time, Yamaguchi lived in his own world for a while and Daichi constantly refrained from his usual punches and quips at Asahi's expense.

Hinata got the odd text from Kenma asking how he was doing and if he knew how to help someone who wasn't sleeping well. Tsukishima was ever the recluse, and this wasn't helped by how Tanaka's random bouts of affection just seemed to keep increasing in frequency. You didn't have to have the keenest eye to spot Asahi's hands trembling for a couple of months, and Nishinoya kept relapsing into his uncharacteristically apologetic self. And there was Suga, fretting over every little threat posed to his precious teammates.

Things didn't get better right away; that wasn't how it worked.

But they did, slowly, and Hinata would forever tell you it was all thanks to that little seed of hope.

* * *

**ITTETSU TAKEDA**

"_Something seemed different after it all. I couldn't meet the team's eyes, it was like I was ashamed. And I was in a way. I was angry at myself for not being able to help them, for scaring them even more than they already were. And the headaches are hindrance, creating even more fear. I suspect the team thought I was going to collapse. But I know I'm stronger than that. I pushed on, for the team's sake if not for mine."_

**( )**

Takeda watched the team train, practising their receives again. The teacher figured that Daichi had realised that he was their main receiver apart from Nishinoya and was determined to train the others up for when he was gone.

"One more!" Hinata called, sending it back into the air towards Kageyama who was spiking them with the help of Kiyoko rather than Ukai. Ukai was over with Asahi, going through some stretches that wouldn't aggravate the ace's still tender wound.

"Teacher, do you think you could spike for a bit?" Daichi called over. "So that Kageyama can have a turn receiving?"

Takeda looked over, meeting Daichi's eyes briefly before he looked away.

"Of course. I'll do my best." He trotted over, climbing the ladder once Kageyama was down and reaching for the ball that Kikyo passed him.

The first ball he tried to spike missed his hand completely and fell short. Nishinoya still dived for it anyway but with how it was dropping, it was pointless.

"I gotta practice receiving dump shots!" Noya yelled, not even noticing that Takeda hadn't done it on purpose.

"Don't focus solely on it though." Daichi was quick to intervene before the libero could go rocketing off the walls. "Dump shots are rare and whilst the point they score could be the difference between winning or losing, we won't come across them often."

"Yes sir!" Noya mock saluted and turned back to Takeda. "Another!"

Takeda's second attempt was too hard and flew off the court, meeting the wall with a dull thud.

"Ah, sorry," he said quickly when all eyes flew to him. "I'm not very good at spiking."

"It's okay," Sugawara was quick to say. "It's like you tell us. Keep practicing, right?"

Takeda didn't have the heart to look him in the eyes. He instead took the next ball offered and spiked again. This time, he actually did a pretty good one (for his skill level, at least) but Noya received it with ease.

"Okay, I'll take over." Ukai was suddenly at the foot of the ladder. "But no receives, Asahi!" he yelled back at the ace who gave a shy smile and nodded.

"Thank you," Takeda climbed down the ladder. "Sorry I couldn't be of more help."

Yet again, the team reassured them that it was fine and yet again, he couldn't look them in the eyes.

**( )**

Practice was over for the night, the team were rushing about with nets and balls. Takeda watched them with fondness, stifling a laugh when Noya and Tanaka rolled a laughing Hinata up in the net.

"Quick mucking around!" Daichi yelled. "Who do you think will pay for a new one if you break it?! It certainly won't be me."

Ukai was usually gone by now, going ahead to meet the team at his shop for pork buns. Takeda usually never went, instead just catching the bus home so that he could mark homework and organise practice matches. This time however, Ukai was hanging around at the door. Takeda met his eyes and the coach beckoned him over.

"Walk with me?" he asked, bag slung over his shoulder. Takeda opened his mouth to protest but Ukai fixed him with a glare.

"Okay," he accepted, following Ukai out of the gym. "Don't forget to lock up, Daichi!" he called backwards, something he always did despite the captain never once having forgotten.

The night was warm for once and street lights lit the walk. They didn't speak until they drew closer to the shop.

"Still getting your headaches?" It was Ukai who broke the silence, an unlit cigarette hanging from his teeth.

"Not as often." Takeda smiled sheepishly. "The last one was about two weeks ago. The doctor says I should be fine now."

"That's good."

The lapsed into brief silence again.

"And there's nothing else wrong?" Ukai asked finally as they reached the final stretch of pavement before the shop.

"Of course not," Takeda was quick to say. "Besides, you should be more worried about the team. I was knocked out for most of it."

"I'm worried about _you_." Ukai met him with a strong glare. "You don't meet the team's eyes, you're nervous at the best of times and I've seen you spike the ball fine for them but today, you're a mess."

"Thanks."

"I'm being serious here." They had reached the shop, Ukai moving to the counter to whip out bags for the pork buns. Takeda settled for standing awkwardly near him.

"It's alright, Ukai. I'm fine." He watched the coach stuff numerous types of pork buns into separate bags. The team were going to be eating well when they got here.

"Quit lying," Ukai snarled, finally bunching up the bags in his hands. "I've been working with you for a while, Teacher, I know when you are not fine. Can't you just…tell me what's wrong?"

Takeda took a deep breath. He'd bugged Ukai to the ends of the earth in order to get him to coach and now he was getting a taste of his own medicine. Would it really be okay to tell Ukai what kept bothering him?

"I let the team down," he said finally. "They were relying on me, they needed me, and all I did was scare them even more. I was useless. I was a burden to them. I heard what Kuroo, Asahi and Tsukishima went through in order to get me to safety. I'm a teacher. I'm meant to help students, not nearly get them killed." He said this all quietly, voice never rising.

And for some reason, Ukai started laughing. Takeda stared at the younger man, who was laughing like he'd just told the joke to end all jokes.

"Did…did I say something wrong?" he asked.

"No, no." Ukai broke off with a wheeze. "It's just, none of the team feels that way. Especially not Ennoshita. You saved his life. And the team values you, they knew what needed to be done to get you to safety. If anything they probably blame themselves for you having to take a hit, but that feeling will fade with time. It was scary for them but they persisted. They'll keep doing that. They're a strong team. You've done a good job with them."

Takeda smiled slightly. "I couldn't have done with without you, Ukai."

"Hey, it's not like I did all that much when the siege happened," the coach said with a solemn smile. "That was you in there. I wish I hadn't left early. I could have taken those guys. Maybe if I hadn't left, none of it would have gone so far, but..."

He stretched his back and twiddled his cigarette, meeting Takeda's eyes. "If there's one person I would have wanted in there with them, it's you."

"Coach!" The door flew open with a crash. "We're here!" Hinata flew into the building, not even noticing the mess he'd caused when he'd opened the door. A can display was now ruined, rolling across the floor.

"Dammit Hinata, clean that up!" Ukai yelled, switching immediately to a frown.

"Ah, Teacher, I didn't know you were going to be here." Suga gave a little wave. He then turned to scold Hinata.

_Even though I caused them so much trouble in the gym, _Takeda thought as he watched Ukai begrudgingly hand out pork buns whilst Hinata fixed the display. _I'm so very glad I decided to become the supervisor and put my heart and soul into this team._

* * *

**TOBIO KAGEYAMA**

"_It was weird. A lot of the time afterwards I was finding I didn't really understand what was going on, even in my own head. More than anything else, I tried to set aside what I was feeling and get on with the important things. But I guess there's only so long you can do that before you have to face up to everything. I think everyone could tell I was struggling, though, so I'm kind of grateful to them for the little things they did."_

**( )**

"_I noticed your tosses have been off all day. Are you injured, kid?"_

"_Hey! Kageyama! You didn't race me this morning. Why?"_

"_Is there trouble in the king's court?"_

Kageyama was rubbish at reading people. He knew that. A lot of the time he couldn't even read himself. It wasn't something that bothered him in the slightest – why would you need a keen understanding of something like that in volleyball?

It had its benefits, sure, but Kageyama had been a little slow on the uptake of that fact. He knew it now, but that still couldn't change the fact that he was about as good at understanding emotion as he was at painting (and if that fourth grade art project was any indication, then he had about as much of a chance at becoming the next Da Vinci as an orange in a beret did).

Hence, it was a little hard for the setter to tell at first if his teammates were trying to help him or patronise him. Eventually he decided on the former, though they never tended to do much more than ask.

The entire afternoon after he'd escaped the gym had been a haze. He remembered shutting down, the feeling of his mother's tears on his skin and the disgusting sensation of hunger and nausea at the same time. He remembered sitting tense like a lump of stone as his parents had driven him home and he remembered collapsing in a heap in his bedroom, shaking and clutching his hands, unable to erase the image of Asahi's blood from his mind.

He remembered driving a fist into his wall, slamming out punch after punch until it felt like his fingers were broken, then the cold of his forehead against the plaster, then the shock of hot tears on his cheeks. The press of the floorboards on his knees as he sunk to the floor and cried.

Then an agony of emptiness for hours, his parents' voices like white noise and the world a mess of grey until a shock of orange rang his doorbell and all but dragged him to the hospital.

He felt like a ghost.

He didn't understand a lot of the feelings that had been injected into him through the course of the incident. There were so many of them and so full on that it had left him empty at the end, so entirely drained that it hurt even thinking about trying to deal with them all.

So he'd pushed them back, hid them away in his mind. It worked, for a while. The only thing was, he couldn't separate the good feelings from the bad ones so he ended up suppressing them all. It made him feel like a corpse, like he was dead, and after it began to drain the fun out of volleyball he knew something needed to be done.

Kageyama didn't understand emotions. But he knew someone who did.

"S-Sugawara. Can I talk to you…please?"

Suga looked up from where he sat, in a cluster with Daichi and a couple of other third years in their homeroom. Lunch time had just started and Kageyama had gone straight there so he was sure not to miss the older setter.

"Oh? Sure." Suga looked around, eyebrows raised. "You don't have Hinata with you," he remarked, as if the pair were conjoined.

"I wanted to speak privately," admitted Kageyama as Suga stepped out of the classroom.

"That so? Well then, I know somewhere we can go."

That was how they came to be sitting on a bench in a nearly empty part of the school, devoid of much activity bar music students on their way to the arts building.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" prompted Suga as he took a seat. His earnest gaze resonated in Kageyama's heart and the teen couldn't help but thank God Suga hadn't been taken away.

Now, how to go about this? Kageyama had been told he was undeniably blunt, but as he understood it this kind of thing required tact.

He breathed deeply and proceeded to stumble over himself for the next three minutes. He couldn't seem to find the right combination of words to convey what he wanted. However, he eventually seized them.

"I'm trying to say…it's been really confusing…to cope with all this." He gesticulated wildly, a habit that seemed to have surfaced from a prolonged exposure to a certain energetic ginger. "Especially someone like me, who doesn't even know how to talk about it without… Well, this."

Kageyama could feel something inside of him withering up and choking with shame, but still Suga only smiled reassuringly. The first year felt the nerves squeezing his chest relax a little as his teammate's soothing personality kicked in.

"I see," he said calmly, adopting a more serious look. "Before I reply, a question. Why did you come to me? Why not your parents or a counsellor or one of the other club members?"

"I…" Kageyama twisted his fingers as he spoke. "I don't think people who weren't there would understand. My parents…aren't really… It's hard to explain, but…"

"No, I understand." Suga nodded, conceding. "But why me?"

"I don't know," answered Kageyama. "You just…always seem to make things better, Suga. You're…trustworthy, I think… Um, you always understand things like this, and…so much better than I do."

Suga was looking at him with a kind of flustered pride. "I-I'm glad I could help."

"We're all grateful for it," replied the first year bashfully. "But…what should I do, Suga? I'm always so…out of it… Sorry, this probably isn't what you wanted to be doing with your lunchtime."

"I don't mind it at all." Suga turned inwards, looking Kageyama in the eye. "In fact, I'm glad you're doing this. I can't speak for everyone, but a lot of us were worried about you. We never expected anyone to go right back to normal after everything, but…we're still worried. In fact, Hinata asked me if I thought you were acting strange just the other day."

"He did?" Kageyama gave a start.

Suga nodded. "You don't tend to notice these things, Kageyama, but it's true. We worry when you're quiet and don't snap during practise. We pick up on it when you come to school in a daze, or when you leave your things around in a stress. We care about you, you know."

Kageyama looked at his shoes self-consciously, giving a start when Suga slid up next to him.

"I can see you trying to ignore your feelings, Kageyama," he said gently. "I can see you hurting. But you need to remember you can rely on your teammates. Most of us went through the same. You can deal with it, one thing at a time if you must."

Suga kept talking to him for a while after that, offering his warm assurances and admitting his own little fears, never once laughing at his teammate for asking for help.

Kageyama walked away from that bench a lot lighter (and with his hair a lot more ruffled), carrying Suga's words in his heart the whole way back to class and beyond.

_You're not alone, Kageyama. We're all just as shaken up. Don't ever feel like you need to ball up the pain and push it aside. We understand, so you don't need to act like nothing's wrong in front of us._

_You're not alone._

* * *

**TADASHI YAMAGUCHI**

"_I didn't even know where to begin after it was over. I had been scared sick and I still was. Everyone was trying to make things normal but I just couldn't focus on anything. It was like...I was detached. I was some kind of shell-shock, I think. I guess it was my way of dealing with things but I know the team was worried about me. That was probably what prompted me to get help."_

**( )**

Tsukki was waiting for him at the corner their streets met at, ready to walk to school. The blond was silent as always and usually Yamaguchi would make conversation but today he just didn't feel like it. He kept his eyes on his shoes, watching the plain white sneakers blur together and not noticing when Tsukki stopped at a road. He nearly walked out onto it if not for his friend grabbing his arm and dragging him back.

"Be careful," Tsukishima muttered, a car whizzing by where Yamaguchi had been about to walk.

"Ah, sorry, Tsukki," he said quietly and then silence fell again.

Yamaguchi stayed mostly silent the whole day. He just couldn't focus on anything. He was startled when the teacher called on him in class to ask a question, he was jittery all through lunch when the noise level in the classroom rose ten fold. If Tsukki noticed, he didn't make any comment on it. He was as silent as ever if not more, ignoring the teacher and nearly earning a detention if not for a student whispering that '_Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were in the gym. Remember?_'

Those words seemed to fly over Yamaguchi's head. Usually he would have rushed in to apologise for Tsukki, explain that they were okay and to treat them like she normally would. However, he just couldn't tune in with the world right now. It was like he was in his own separate place, his mind light years away.

He moved robotically in practice. His movements were stiff and despite taking no notice of anything around him the entire day, he could feel the eyes of his teammates boring into his back.

_They're worried about me, _the thought briefly crossed his mind. But he didn't act on like he would have before the incident in the gym. Yamaguchi was very self aware and spent most of his childhood trying to attend to the needs of people around him. He was an open person as long as he felt it wouldn't come across as pushy.

But everyone else had suffered in the gym too. He couldn't go passing his fears onto them. Everyone else had it worse than him. Suga was still so jumpy. Yamaguchi was certain his smiles were growing more strained by the day. And that was just him.

"Tsukki, we're walking home right?" Yamaguchi sidled up to his best friend when practice was over. The tall blond was taking his time, his movements slow and precise.

"Actually, I'm heading over to a music store," Tsukishima said after a brief pause. "I'm meeting someone there."

Yamaguchi struggled to keep the surprise off his face. "Who?"

"Akiteru." Tsukishima drew the word out, contempt written all over his face. "He insisted."

Yamaguchi watched him leave.

"Coming, Yamaguchi?" Hinata called over. "Daichi's buying us pork buns. Where's grumpy glasses going?"

"Ah, he's going to a music store with his brother." Yamaguchi wasn't sure if Tsukki wanted the others to know where he was going but it was too late now.

"Do you think he kept in contact with the small giant?" Hinata hummed thoughtfully as they started off. Yamaguchi let his mind wander, not paying attention to the friendly banter between Hinata and Kageyama and the more lighter ones between the others.

"Yamaguchi, look out!"

He screamed, jumping back in shock. His feet tangled themselves up and he hit the ground hard, scraping his palms. Where was the bullet? Was someone dying? What was going on?

A car whizzed by, narrowly missing him for the second time in one day. He turned to look up at his team mates who all stared in shock back at him. After a few moments, Hinata reached out a tentative hand and helped his fellow first year to his feet.

Suga was the first to speak.

"Yamaguchi, are you alright? You've been really out of it the past few weeks." All Yamaguchi could see were the bags under the vice captain's eyes, the slumped back and fake smile.

"Oh, don't worry about me." He tried to play it off, but he could feel his eyes stinging. _Fight it. _They couldn't worry about him. He was fine. It was seriously nothing. "You guys have your own things to worry about. I'm fine."

He shuffled his feet nervously as everyone fixed him with a strange array of expressions. Suga looked sad and so did Hinata. Asahi looked confused whilst Noya stared blankly beside him. Daichi was looking at him in a pitying way and Tanaka and the other second years were gaping at him like he'd just…well, like he'd just died.

Kageyama on the other hand, looked downright furious.

"Do you really think that we don't want to hear about your problems?" he hissed. "Are you shallow enough to believe that we only care about ourselves?"

"Kageyama," Suga pleaded. "Please don't."

"No," Kageyama looked so angry, upset, betrayed. "We're his teammates. Everyone kept drilling this into my head. We're not fighting this battle alone. And you're just going to let the fact that Yamaguchi nearly died slide? No. He needs help. I talked to someone." He admitted this last part quietly, eyes now finding a sudden interest in the ground.

Help. The concept seemed foreign to Yamaguchi. You couldn't complain about things, especially when they were so trivial. He was so certain that the best way to handle this was to push through on his own. So what if he zoned out? So what if he couldn't seem to leave their terrible time in the gym?

So what if he couldn't relax at all, couldn't seem to close his eyes and sleep peacefully at night?

"Yamaguchi, we won't think less of you if you need to get help. And you shouldn't put our health before your own. If you think we'll treat you as if you're weak, you shouldn't." Daichi stepped in, allowing Suga to lead Kageyama to the side and talk to him quietly.

"It… Maybe…" Yamaguchi couldn't meet their eyes. "I… Have any of you needed professional help?"

No one met his eyes. Were they all fine? Was he, the one who had been the least hurt, the only one who needed someone to help him through this?

"I have," Suga said suddenly. "And I'm sure some of the others were. Yamaguchi please, you need someone to talk to."

Yamaguchi thought for a moment, back to Tsukki who had been so shut off since the whole thing. To the tears he'd seen trail down his friend's cheeks when they thought he wasn't watching. The scar that ran in an ugly diagonal line down Asahi's chest.

"I...I do." Yamaguchi stuttered out. "I do need help. And I'm sorry I've caused you all so much trouble and made you worry."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Noya spread his arms wide.

"Thank you," Yamaguchi smiled brightly, the first true one since the incident. They were going to get through this. He could do this. "Thank you all so much."

* * *

**DAICHI SAWAMURA**

"_Something had changed. We all knew that. It was hard to get back into the normal swing of things, being that we were now aware of the danger we'd been living around our whole lives. Our eyes were open. The kinds of things we'd only ever seen in fiction or on TV, things we thought would never happen to us - they could happen to anyone."_

**( )**

Daichi stretched, arching his back and pushing out his arms until he could feel his body shaking. He sighed as he loosened up again, flicking his wrists. Afterschool practise was over and everyone had disappeared to the club room to pack up except himself and Suga, who was busy fussing over a broken strap on the padding wrapped around the net posts.

"The stitches have all torn off…" the setter was grumbling to himself. "You see, I told Tanaka letting Hinata climb on it was a bad idea. He could have broken his neck or something. Do you know I had a friend who broke a collarbone just falling off a sofa?"

The last question was aimed at Daichi, who straightened up and tossed his friend a shrug. "Suga, you've seen him land on his feet from higher than that. I don't think slipping off a pole's going to kill Hinata."

"You can never be sure," muttered Suga, tugging at the pole's padding. "I worry, you know?"

Daichi dropped his arm out of his current stretch and stood watching Suga fiddling with the post for a moment. He'd been a lot more cautious regarding the team's safety ever since the incident with his father. Everyone had, and after thinking about it, Daichi found he himself was no exception.

"Maybe Shimizu can fix it," he suggested, walking towards the bench. "Now come on, let's go. We'd better get out of here before the caretaker chases us out."

The door rolled open behind them, catching their attention.

"Speak of the devil," said Daichi, heading to grab his bottle. However, it wasn't the caretaker who stepped inside. "Oh! Asahi, it's you."

"Ah, yeah." The ace stepped inside, glancing around. "I-I left my jacket somewhere. It's not in here, is it?"

Daichi cast his eyes around the gym, but failed to catch sight of Asahi's missing jacket. "Not that I can see."

"Oh… That's not good. I'll have to buy a new one if I can't find it." Asahi swallowed, standing around awkwardly. He'd been out of the hospital for a while now, but still wasn't quite up to the standard of regular practise. Daichi still felt a prickle of guilt run through his insides every time he saw his teammate stifling a wince as he bent over or flinching away from forgetful touches.

_I should have stopped him. I should have stopped him but I didn't. I should have stopped him, but I valued Suga's safety over his and I…_

He clenched his jaw. _No, I can't think that way. It wasn't anything like that. I just panicked and I won't let it happen again._

It had been strange. The whole team had been affected by the events that had taken place back then. It felt like they were all sneaking around each other, afraid to speak up in case they risked upsetting anyone. It was like they all wanted to talk about it, but at the same time the very thought of speaking up seemed like a horrible idea.

Daichi would have hated to be in the position of the three second years who hadn't been through the terrible ordeal. They'd been filled in on the details during Asahi's time in hospital, but nothing could really convey to them the fear and desperation of actually being there. They probably felt estranged from their teammates because of it.

Everyone was treading carefully, as if they were all made of glass.

It was like Asahi had read Daichi's mind when he next spoke up. "How long can we keep this up?" he asked shakily, not budging from the doorway.

He hadn't even mentioned what he meant, but Daichi and Suga both knew instinctively.

Daichi opened his mouth but Suga beat him to it.

"Don't you dare say you don't know, Daichi," he scolded. "You're the captain. You need to know these things, or think of them when you don't. You need to know, because…"

Daichi steeled himself and walked back across the gym, motioning for Asahi to follow. The soft-hearted ace gave a start and obeyed, leaving the three of them standing by the net in the dark of the evening.

"You need to know," repeated Suga softly. "Because I don't, and if you don't know then where do I turn to?"

"I do know," replied Daichi, grabbing both of their hands, earning him a pair of surprised looks. "The answer is we don't. We don't have to keep this up. If you want to fall apart then go ahead and do it. It's not like anyone can blame us. But really, what's the point? It's behind us now. We're alive. We can keep fighting. We don't need to concern ourselves with it any more."

Asahi looked down. "But…I can't stop thinking about it. I know I shouldn't be, but I'm still scared, Daichi."

"And that's okay," Daichi assured him. "It's not like we can just get better overnight. It'll take time. But as long as we're together, we'll recover from this. As long as we're together, okay?"

"Okay." Daichi felt Suga squeeze his hand, looking sniffly. "As long as we're together."

Asahi mumbled his agreement and shifted his weight, pressing his palm to Daichi's.

The captain clenched his hands around his teammates' as a stinging surge of feeling crashed through his chest, hot and desperate. "That means you aren't ever allowed to leave me behind, understand? You're stuck with each other and me. I'm not letting you disappear. There'll be consequences if you do. I'm serious."

Suga let out a tearful laugh and Asahi put forth a smile. "Got it."

"Yeah…" Daichi let their hands slip out of his and looked at them for a minute. "We'll be alright. Just give it time. Time and patience, and don't give up on each other. We survived, and I'm not letting anything break us apart now."

_As long as we're together, we'll pull through. I know it._

* * *

**KENMA KOZUME**

"_It took weeks for the physical effects to fade away. Of what happened I mean. And the mental ones...well they're still there. It was bizarre, being only sixteen and having faced so much. Mum and dad were nervous around me, like I was going to break if they even said hello to me. That hurt, but not as much as seeing Kuroo flinch away from me. I just had to wait and hope that we could both move past this event."_

**( )**

Kenma sat at the side of the gym, waiting for Kuroo to finish his extra practice. He was slamming the balls down whilst a reluctant Yaku tossed them for him. Kenma's eyes drifted down to his phone where a text from Shoyo was waiting to be read.

'_If someone's not sleeping then give them hot milk! w that's what mum gives me'_

He sighed. It wasn't that kind of problem.

"Again!" Kuroo yelled at Yaku who looked so worn out. He wasn't used to this endless and painful kind of practice.

"Kuroo, I'm going to take a quick break. How about you practice your serves?" The libero suggested, walking over to Kenma without waiting for a reply. Kenma held up the libero's water bottle helpfully.

"Who are you texting?" Yaku took the bottle with a nod of thanks and settled down next to the setter.

"Uh, Shoyo," Kenma muttered, staring at the reply. He should probably text back.

'_Thank you'_

"How's Karasuno doing?" Yaku asked. "Didn't they have a practice match against some school?"

Kenma nodded, eyes flickering back to Kuroo slamming the ball down over and over again. Nekoma was treading on eggshells around Kuroo and him. At least Yaku was making it seem like everything was normal.

Only it wasn't normal and Kenma wasn't sure how to feel about it. Shoyo said it helped to talk to people, especially your teammates, but Shoyo had had nearly his entire team in the gym with him. He could talk to people who understood what he'd been through. He could seek the comfort in knowing he wasn't the only one shaken up by the whole experience. Kenma only had Kuroo.

And Kuroo wasn't really talking to him at the moment.

Kenma's eyes found their way back to Yaku, who was watching Kuroo with an intense look on his face. Sometimes, a lot of people forgot that Yaku was a third year. Even the team sometimes did. Other teams thought it was because of the height, but this wasn't the case when it came to Nekoma. It just sort of happened.

If it wasn't for being polite, they would have payed dearly for the mistake.

"Kuroo hasn't been speaking to you, has he?" Yaku said eventually. Kenma looked at him, eyes slightly widened to show his surprise. Yaku was cutting right to the chase here. He must have been really worried.

"Not at the moment," Kenma admitted. "But he will."

"And you're alright?" Yaku was looking at him now, pinning him down with his intense stare.

Kenma shrugged. "I will be."

"But not right now." People also forgot how persistent Yaku was when he wanted to be.

"I don't want to talk about it," Kenma said, his voice nearly drowned out by the persistent _thwacks _of the ball.

"Typical," Yaku smiled. "When do you ever want to talk about anything?"

Kenma shrugged again. Even if he admitted Yaku was right, he wasn't one for talking. And what had happened at the gym was at the very top of the list of things he didn't want to talk about.

"Kenma," Yaku's voice was softer now. "We're a team, right? We look out for each other. Let us look out for you and Kuroo. Let us help. I know Kuroo's in a bad place right now and honestly, we all know only you can get through to him in a time like this. Bokuto may be one of his best friends but...he lacks tact. If Kuroo's like this right now, someone needs to get through to you to get to him."

"And you're offering to be that person?"

"Maybe." It came with a wry smile, twisted and somewhat bitter. And Kenma's realised with a start that Yaku hated what happened. Hated being out of the loop whilst Kuroo (who he quite possibly considered his unrequited best friend) and Kenma suffered in the gym.

Had he joined the crowd of anxious people, not considered special enough to get even closer to the gym? Probably not.

Did Kenma resent him for that? No way.

"Yaku, how did you find out about what was going on?" Kenma asked instead. He really didn't want to talk about himself.

"I was at home." Yaku sighed. "I didn't have anything to do. I texted Kuroo and I didn't get a reply. I wasn't really expecting one. So I turned on the TV and there it was. 'Karasuno High School Hostage Situation'. I saw the gym. Screaming people. And I saw your parents." He laughed bitterly. "That's when I knew."

"It was scary, being in there." Kenma let his hand rest on his ribs. "And I got hurt."

"And that's probably one of the reasons Kuroo flinches when you touch him." Yaku said. Kenma shot him a look. "I'm a libero, Kenma. I've always got my eyes open."

Yaku flew under the radar in general, Kenma decided.

"Do you think things will go back to the way they were?" Kenma winced as Kuroo hit the ball yet again, sending it careening into the net as fatigue took its toll on him.

"Who knows?" It was Yaku's turn to shrug. "But I know it was bad in the gym. And trust me when I say I understand. But even if the team don't really understand, they're your friends, Kenma, and they'll listen to you just like you listen to us."

"And Kuroo?" Kenma dared to ask.

"He'll talk to you when he's ready." Yaku paused. "Or maybe you could take the initiative for once. Don't wait for him to get better. Go help him out."

Kenma's phone buzzed and he looked down.

'_Remember I'm here for you k? X3 The team says hi &amp; hope you're ribs are better! Hope to c u soon!'_

"Shoyo?" Yaku nodded at the phone.

"Yes."

"Naturally."

"Hey Yaku, are you ready to go again?" Kuroo called over.

"I'm ready to go home." Yaku stood up. "I'm putting my foot down, Kuroo. Show's over for tonight. Time to clean up and get home." He shot Kuroo the look that screamed 'no arguments' and they both watched the defeated captain trudge around to gather up the balls.

"Remember what I said, Kenma." Yaku smiled at Kenma. "And you have my number. I'm always here if you want to talk." He walked away to pack up the net.

Kenma clicked out of the chat with Shoyo and scrolled through his contacts to find Yaku's. Maybe he would call the libero tonight.

Maybe things were taking a turn for the better.

* * *

**Featuring Toph's underappreciated son, Yaku. 3**

**Anyways, another sorry about taking so long! Hope you all enjoyed, and I think there'll be another two chapters after this one.**

**\- - Zakkie**


	14. Rebuilding - Part 2

**AAARGH! ! SORRY WE'RE LATE, AGAIN! School takes it's toll, once more...**

**Anyways! Hope you all are still following this little story of ours! Here's the second to last chapter, featuring brief Fukurodani cameo and my son Akiteru. uwu**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**TETSURO KUROO**

_"__Not gonna lie. I was shaken up for some time. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't a shivering wreck or anything, but there was something always there in the dark that I just couldn't get out of my head. Every so often, it would come forward, and honestly, that scared me. What if one day, it came the whole way out, all I could think of, terrifying me, and I couldn't get rid of it?"_

**( )**

_Ah. _Kuroo frowned, twiddling his pencil around between two fingers. He tapped it against a sheet of algebra revision and sighed. He was sitting just outside the Nekoma gym after school, kitted up for volleyball even though he was a little early and nobody else had arrived. _I should have done this in class. We have a practise match today and training starts in twenty minutes so I'd better finish up quickly._

He'd just set his pen to the page when all of a sudden it vanished from his field of view, along with everything else. He stiffened, drawing a startled gasp as his chest seized up and his mind twisted up all kinds of horrific scenarios. Who was grabbing him? What was this? _I thought we were out of there!_

He could feel muscled arms by his head, a heavy presence behind his back. Then, a loud, hot and familiar voice whispered in his ear, "Guess_ who, _Captain Kuroo?"

Wildly, he careened forward off the bench and knocked the hands off his eyes. Breathing quickly, he whipped around to stare at the person who had attacked him. Whoever it was, he was laughing hard.

"That was awesome! I didn't think you startled that easily!"

Kuroo cursed as two volleyball teams approached from the direction of the school buildings, glaring at his assailant. "Geez, Bokuto! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Bokuto's cocky grin slipped off his face under Kuroo's intensity. He looked mildly concerned. "Eh? What's wrong?"

The Nekoma captain stood, picking his pencil up off the ground. "Nothing. You scared the life out of me is all."

_If it's nothing, why is my heart still pounding?_

"Oh, sorry. Guess you were concentrating." Bokuto looked back over his shoulder, watching his teammates approaching. The Nekoma players were following a little way behind. "Hey! Hey! Akaashi! Guess what I did, huh? Guess?"

The setter looked from Bokuto to Kuroo. "I'm sorry about him. Lately he seems to think 'Guess Who?' is fun for everyone." He then turned and filed into the gym with the others, ignoring Bokuto's dismayed expression.

"You mean it's not?!" The streaky-haired spiker shot inside after his teammate, looking put out. "I thought you thought it was funny!"

"Dumb owl." Kuroo leaned back against the gym wall after everyone had disappeared inside. He could still feel the last of a quick burst of adrenaline flowing through his body, setting his hands shivering. Bokuto knew about everything that happened in regards to the Karasuno gym incident (he'd shared text message after text message with Kuroo once he'd heard) but like anyone else who hadn't been there, he could never really grasp how bad it had been.

It was the same with the rest of Nekoma. They'd been an undeniable help when Kuroo and Kenma had been recovering from the event, always offering support and never expecting anything in return, but they didn't know the feeling. Kuroo couldn't explain it to them either, and even if he could, he would have kept it to himself. He was the captain, after all. Captains had to be stronger than that, so he just kept training harder and harder to distract himself from the feeling.

But it left him exhausted. He couldn't figure out why it was so hard to just _get over it_, and that was more than a little scary. It kept coming back to him in flashes, and even the slightest reminder sometimes set his heart racing. Not to mention the nightmares… To add to that, he was reluctant to bring up the topic around Kenma and risk upsetting him. Kenma was probably feeling the lingering fear even worse than he was, so it wouldn't be fair of Kuroo to spring his problems on the setter.

So he stood there, alone in the swarming fear that he was losing his mind.

That was, until the door opened and Kenma himself slipped out. "Aren't you coming in for warm ups?" he asked in his usual soft voice.

"Of course," replied Kuroo. "I'll be there in a minute."

Kenma didn't budge. The door closed behind him and he just looked at his captain for a solid while.

"It's still happening, isn't it?" he murmured, his sharp eyes seeming to burn into Kuroo's. Upon the third year's blank expression, he elaborated. "Every time someone catches you off guard, you panic. You don't let anyone touch you. It's because you're still getting scared every time, aren't you? And you're driving yourself so hard in training, it's kind of scary."

Kuroo's silence confirmed it and Kenma slid up next to him, hovering, never touching.

"I'm getting better," the captain assured him. "I'm sure of that. But yes, it's still happening. I just…don't know why."

"We're still adjusting," said Kenma quietly. "Slowly, but we are. I think we're getting better. I think…the team is helping us."

"I think so too," replied Kuroo, looking out over the school grounds. "I'm just worried, you know?"

"I know. I get scared sometimes too." Kenma met Kuroo's gaze and motioned to his arm. "Do you mind?"

"No. I'll be fine if it's you."

Kenma nodded, stepping that little bit closer so he was brushing against Kuroo's side.

"We'll be okay," he said. "One day you won't panic. I will find that trust again, too. Then Bokuto can grab you as many times as he wants. Yamamoto too."

"You just want them to leave you alone, don't you?" Kuroo grinned. "But I think you're right. We'll adjust. Things can go back to normal. We're alive, after all."

Kenma nodded, and a tiny smile curved his lips. "Yeah. We're alive. And if we're alive, we can get better."

For the first time in weeks, Kuroo felt at a little more at ease.

* * *

**KEI TSUKISHIMA**

_"__I thought that I wasn't affected by what had happened, that everything would just return to normal. But soon, it got too big and I couldn't handle it anymore. I just kept wishing it had never happened, because I had been scared stupid. But denial didn't get me anywhere and it turned out I needed someone to lean on for a while."_

**( )**

Kei Tsukishima woke up and had a shower. He got dressed and packed his bag. He ate breakfast and said goodbye to his mum. He went to school and sat quietly, headphones around his neck as usual. He ignored Yamaguchi trying to talk to him and was silent through practice. Then he went home.

He didn't bother announcing his arrival, and it turned out it didn't matter. The house was empty, his mum out somewhere and Akiteru away at university like he had been for the past few years. Had anyone even told him what had happened? There were some bags left near the door but he ignored them, heading up to his room. His mum had probably gone shopping and dropped them back home before heading out again. Sometimes it felt like she was never home, especially when all Tsukishima wanted was not to be alone.

But she just kept giving him more and more space.

Why? Nothing had changed. He was still her son, still the same person he'd been before the drama.

Right?

He made it to his room and flopped onto his bed, school bag falling aimlessly onto the neat floor. Tsukishima couldn't work in a cluttered environment. He had homework to do but his head ached from a whole day of loud noise and people still talking about Taro and the volleyball team. Someone had asked for his autograph for some bizarre, messed up reason and Yamaguchi had had to step in and lead Tsukishima away.

He hadn't been brave or heroic. He wasn't famous now because he'd nearly been killed. He'd been so damn scared that he was going to die…that _everyone _was going to die.

And someone _had_. Tsukishima had heard the bullet, seen the body, the puddle of blood slowly growing as Nishinoya stared in horror at the man who'd given his life for him. Asahi had been shot! A gun had been pointed at everyone. The threat of death had hung over them, a constant reminder of how weak they were.

_We thought we were strong before it happened, but all we thought about was volleyball, _Tsukishima thought grimly, putting his glasses on his bedside table so he could bury his head in his pillow. He'd been trying to just forget what had happened, ignore the scar he saw whenever Asahi changed and pretend that some parts of the gym didn't look newer than others.

But here, alone in his room, alone in the house, he couldn't stop the memories from swamping him.

_Gun._

_Screaming._

_Bullet!_

_It's pointing in his direction._

_A limp body in his hands._

NO!

No. He wasn't going to remember that. Couldn't remember that. It was over and he didn't have to think about it anymore. All he had to do was ignore it. Just like he ignored everyone at school.

_Die._

_You're going to die._

He could feel his breathing speeding up, just like it had in the gym. He struggled to calm down but it seemed to be getting faster. Faster and faster.

Where was he again? He could barely see anything to distinguish his location. Everything was going fuzzy, like he was in the middle of a migraine. His body temperature seemed to be changing, cold one moment and hot the next.

His breathing was too fast, _too fast_ and his heart was racing. Was this what it felt like to die? Was he having a heart attack at such a young age? He was going to die! He had escaped the gym only to die later, his heart pounding away in his chest and his vision collapsing around him.

His thoughts were racing ahead of him until he couldn't even think anymore. Was he going to black out?

_Die._

_You're going to die._

"Kei!"

_Who was that?_

His heartbeat seemed to stutter in his chest and fear gripped him even tighter before it sped up to its unnaturally fast pace again.

"Kei, can you hear me? I need you to calm down." Hands grabbed him, pulled him upwards. He knew they were trying to get him to focus but he couldn't see.

_Calm down? Calm down?!_

How could he calm down when he couldn't even breathe?

"Kei, I know you can hear me. I just need you to focus on your breathing. Slow it down. Don't think of anything else. Just breathe. For me."

For who though? Who was in the room with him, helping him? He obeyed the voice though, pushed aside the fearful thoughts and concentrated on slowing his breathing. This in turn caused his racing heartbeat to fall to a more normal pace and finally, his vision cleared and he could see his saviour.

"Here." His older brother handed him a glass of water, seemingly conjured from nowhere. He'd probably brought it up to Tsukishima, hoping to...talk or something like that only to find him...he couldn't think right now. Nothing was working.

"Thanks," was all Tsukishima said and accepted the water. "Shouldn't you... be at…" He knocked his glasses aside as he pressed his hands into his eyes, trying to think of where his brother usually was. His mind was all over the place. "University?"

He ignored the way Akiteru's face fell, concentrating on taking small sips and focusing on a figurine of a leopluradon on his bookshelf. If he kept his mind clear, just stared at the toy, things should be fine right?

"Kei, were you thinking about the gym just now?" Akiteru just wasn't going to let it go. Since when had he been so blunt?

"Are you on break?" he asked instead, determined to get away from this subject. He hoped Akiteru would ignore the way his voice had cracked.

"Mum asked me to come down. She's worried about you."

"I'm fine," Tsukishima muttered, though his aching body protested at this blatant lie. That sudden panic wasn't fine. Couldn't have been. That was scary.

"Like hell you are!" Akiteru yelled, then immediately shrank back again. He stared helplessly at his brother, searching his face. "Why do you have to be like that? On the phone it's 'I'm fine, I'm fine, just go back to class why don't you?' Because I'm worried! That's why!"

"You shouldn't be. It's my problem. I don't need you trying to fix me up. And besides, it's over now." Tsukishima straightened his glasses, feeling his tensed muscles start to ease up.

Instead of the retaliation he expected, the first year was surprised to hear his brother give a terse laugh. "Why don't you understand? I'm scared for you. I don't know why you're not talking, but if it's just to avoid hassling yourself and everyone else, you're not doing a great job."

"Maybe I just don't want to talk," Tsukishima retorted, hating how lousy that comeback was.

Nevertheless, it seemed to shut Akiteru up for a bit. The two of them sat there on the floor for a while before he spoke up again.

"You know, we used to have so much fun rolling around on the floor here. When you were little, I mean."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

Akiteru looked up and met his gaze again. His expression was of a startlingly twisted sadness. "Sometimes I look at you and can't help but see that chubby-cheeked face you used to have, and that little grin. I still see my baby brother, and no matter how hard you push, that's something you can't stop me from doing."

Tsukishima was silent, staring cynically at Akiteru from behind his glasses.

"So it's scary. Turning on your roommate's TV and seeing 'Karasuno High Hostage Situation' flash across the screen. It was like a small heart attack, and then a bucket of ice. Because I see my kid brother, as if he were still this tiny little thing, stuck in a gym with a gun."

Akiteru shifted his legs to a more comfortable position, blinking slowly. "Sprinting out of the room to the office to let them know I'd be missing lectures, all the while panicking because how could I live with myself if my brother got shot and I didn't do a thing to stop it? Worrying myself sick on the train down here because there was all the chance I could arrive too late? Do you think that I didn't care enough to do that?"

The young man had to take a breath before he kept going, and Tsukishima felt a twinge in his chest as Akiteru continued to struggle to get through to him.

"The whole way here I didn't know what was happening. By the time I got here you were already out, but then it was off to hospital and I was gone again before I could even get a word in," he continued. "But waiting was the worst. Not knowing, having to race down to you when there was nothing I could do anyway."

There was a beat of silence.

"Please don't make me feel that again," Akiteru begged. "If you won't talk to me, at least talk to mum. Dad. Your teammates. Your counsellor, your hairdresser, some random shmuck, _anyone! _Just don't make me live through watching you suffer."

Then Tsukishima cracked. That's all he could think. _I'm a broken person. I don't know what to do._

"It really happened, didn't it?" he whispered, and Akiteru nodded. "I…don't know what to do." _I want…_

Akiteru shuffled closer, trying to get Tsukishima to look at his face. "But it can be figured out, you know."

"I… I want…" _Spit it out…_

"What?"

"I want someone to help me," admitted Tsukishima finally, and his voice had lost all colour. _Please._

Then Akiteru was upon him, squeezing him harder than he had since they were much smaller. Tsukishima found his gangly limbs pressed together as equally lean arms crushed his ribs. All he could hear was 'my baby brother' in his ear over and over.

"Please get off," he managed eventually, and Akiteru complied.

"I was so worried," he wavered, swiping the moisture from his eyes. "Kei, if it's bothering you then talk to me. Talk to your team. Better yet, both of us. And if that's too much, then just stay near us."

Somehow, just hearing that seemed to make things ten times easier. It wasn't like he was the only one going through this.

"I will," he promised, fixing the uniform Akiteru had crumpled. "I'll talk to them. And you too. But don't hug me."

"That's all I need," replied Akiteru. "And if you guys are as much of a team as I think you are, then that's all you'll need as well."

* * *

**RYUUNOSUKE TANAKA**

_"__For the first days after it happened, everything felt kinda off. Like, you know when you get slapped in the ear and all you can hear for a while is ringing? Yeah, it was like that. I was floating through for a couple of days, deaf, and when I finally came to my senses, I realised how easy it would have been to lose just about everything in the gym."_

**( )**

Almost couple of weeks had seen Asahi recover relatively well, though he'd remained in the hospital for quite a while after the incident with Suga's father. Despite this, he never seemed to lack company, especially on weekends when it seemed like the entire volleyball club would show up.

Tanaka himself didn't live all that far away and he found himself to be one of the ace's more frequent visitors. There also seemed to be a silent pact between himself and Daichi that one of the two of them would accompany Suga at all times, and since the gentle third year's second home seemed to be Asahi's ward, Tanaka had another reason to visit.

It was just himself, Suga and Hinata this Saturday. Since the third year's mother was out late due to matters involving the arrest of Taro Sugawara, he was coming over to Tanaka's for the night. Hinata had ridden to the hospital himself and decided he wanted to sleep over as well.

"Argh!" Tanaka tossed down his cards and scowled, making Hinata jump. "I give up! I hate Cheat! Suga's too good at this!"

Suga grinned at him from his stool on the other side of Asahi's bed, fanning out three cards at his chin. Asahi himself stifled a laugh and managed, "Don't shout."

"Just because you'll never beat me," goaded Suga, still sporting a cheeky smile.

Jumping to his feet, Tanaka thrust a finger at the third year and cried out, "Say that again and fight me! I'll fight you on the court! In the street! Right now if we have to, Suga!"

"Whoooa! Upperclassman Tanaka! That's a cool declaration but please don't fight!"

"But you are fighting me right now, Tanaka, and you're losing."

He ground his teeth and sat down again under Asahi's shushing motions and Suga's gleeful smirk, and they continued to be bested by the setter for another hour before they had to go. They'd reluctantly farewelled the injured ace before leaving him with the latest copy of a volleyball magazine Kageyama had asked Hinata to pass on.

The walk to Tanaka's place was surprisingly quiet, the brief exchanges not going much further than chitchat with Hinata pleading and giving his mother details over the phone in the background. He eventually convinced her to let him stay the night just as they arrived.

They mucked around for most of the evening and night came quickly. Having ridden his bike the whole way from home, Hinata conked out predictably fast. His two seniors remained awake for a while longer.

"Hey, do you think Asahi is asleep right now?" whispered Tanaka, shuffling his hands behind his head.

Suga, from his own futon, replied, "Probably. He needs rest to get better."

"Right. What about everyone else we know? Do you think they're all asleep?"

"Maybe, though it's not too late, is it? I think Daichi's probably awake."

"Why's that?"

"He has a spoken presentation due tomorrow but he didn't like the topic so he just started writing it today. He'll probably have only just finished practising it. I was up late doing mine, since it was due last lesson."

"That's strangely irresponsible of him."

"Oh, well, you'd be surprised. But he's clever, so he pulls it off."

"…I wish me and Noya could do that…"

"Maybe if you ever put in the effort to try studying."

The conversation went on like that, everyday rambles about schoolwork and volleyball and something about sheep until the two of them drifted off to sleep.

**( )**

Tanaka jolted awake to the sound of a bird screeching right outside the window, disorientated for a few seconds as he worked to piece together just what had made that ungodly noise. When he'd gotten his bearings, he noticed another silhouette framed in the gloom.

"Suga?" he mumbled blearily, wiping the fogginess out of his eyes. "S'that you?"

"Tanaka?" The third year peered through the darkness. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"Nah…was some weird-ass bird…" He yawned, slowly regaining the power of sight. "You were already awake?"

Suga nodded. "Um, yeah. I was."

"Oh, you're shivering… Do you want me to grab extra blankets for you?"

"N-no, I'm fine," the third year whispered. His voice sounded odd. "I just…didn't bring warm enough pyjamas…"

It dawned on Tanaka like a little wave of light in the back of his head. Cold, harsh, stinging brightness, like an ugly false light just as unwanted as the realisation he'd had.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Suga was quiet for a moment before he answered. "I did."

"About the…"

"Yeah." The setter paused again. "About that."

"It-It's nothing to be ashamed of, you know that, right?" prompted Tanaka worriedly, shifting to face him. "We're all still a little freaked out, one way or another…"

"Yeah, I know." Tanaka saw Suga flash a smile through the darkness, and the falseness of it had the same impact of a train colliding with the spiker's chest. "But I'm silly, so it's embarrassing."

"You're not silly, Suga. You have as much right to be scared as any of us. More, even."

"Yes, but…" He seemed to steady himself and look down. "It's kind of shameful, isn't it? I'm supposed to be the eldest in this room, but…I'm so scared of something I know isn't going to happen. I keep thinking Taro will come back or something else terrible will happen to everyone."

Tanaka sat in silence and listened, forgetting his sleepiness in favour of his friend.

"I always thought it was cliché when people said they were so scared that they felt freezing and couldn't stop shivering, and that it felt like nothing could warm them up. But I see now the truth behind those words. I'm trembling, and it won't go away. I feel so cold."

"Like all the warmth was sucked out of you…" murmured Tanaka half to himself. _I remember that feeling._

"Suga…"

The two of them started at Hinata's mumble.

"Is he awake?" hissed Tanaka.

The setter glanced around at the little ginger. "I-I don't know."

"Suga, if you're cold, I'll help warm you up…" Hinata clumsily pushed himself upright, blinking heavily and letting his head loll to one side. "Here…"

He slid in close (rather ungracefully) and wrapped his small body around cross-legged Suga, both arms and legs. "You're shaking so bad," the boy remarked foggily.

"Hi-Hinata!" Suga's arms flew up around his head, away from Hinata's awkward embrace. "What are you—"

"Shhh," came the slurred reply. "I'm warming you."

"Shoyo…" Suga sighed and gave up on trying to pry the blocker off as Tanaka slipped closer.

"I'll help," he whispered and latched on before Suga could protest. "It'll be okay. We'll warm you up all nice."

After a short while, Tanaka spoke up again.

"I have a fear like that too, you know," he murmured, not meeting Suga's eyes. "I realised a while ago how close we came to being separated back then. It was really scary, you know? I don't want to lose any of you…"

"Daichi said something like that as well," mumbled Suga, shifting uncomfortably in the grasp of his teammates. "I think we all feel kind of the same."

"I'll fight 'em," decided Tanaka fuzzily. "Anyone that tries to hurt the team, I'll fight them. I'll beat them into flea powder."

"Use your words, not your fists."

"I'm not good at words."

"Practise makes perfect."

"Let sleeping logs die!" Hinata burst in groggily. Upon some confused looks, he continued, "I thought we were saying sayings, and I'm sleepy. So sleeping logs…"

"I don't think you worded that one right, somehow," mused Tanaka.

"Well, I'm nice and warm now," said Suga, twisting himself around and smiling gently. "So you can go back to bed."

"Can we have the chocolate cereal in the morning?" asked Hinata as he crawled towards his futon. "I always wanted to try that…"

"Of course."

Tanaka yawned loudly as he flopped face-first onto his bed. His brain moved slowly and he lifted his head to say, "And Suga?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry about it. There's no way your dad can come back. If you're scared then talk to us, please, just don't…" He broke off into a yawn and his voice petered into an exhausted mumble as he drifted away again. "Just don't cut yourself off…because I don't want any of us to split up…ever…"

"You're the one who needs to stop worrying," whispered Suga. "I may still have these silly fears, but there's no way I'm ever going to leave you guys. Without you, I'd be lost. There's nothing more important to me than the team, so you can count on that."

Tanaka struggled to stay awake because this was something he knew he needed to hear.

"I have the best friends in the world. It's nearly impossible to be sad or scared with all of you around. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. It means a lot to me."

"Because you mean a lot to us, Suga…" said Tanaka quietly, just before he fell asleep.

* * *

**ASAHI AZUMANE**

_"__I was so afraid when it happened and I thought it might get worse once it was over, but I found myself being brave for once. It still hurts though. Like, I'm not as scared, but everyone acts differently around me. Whenever they see my scar, they flinch and look away. I know that they feel bad, that they blame themselves. But I can't help but feel they're afraid of me now, scared that I'm scarred and broken."_

**( )**

Asahi glanced over at Yamaguchi to his right as they changed, pulling off their sweaty clothes in favour of fresher tops. Ukai would never let them into his shop for pork buns smelling like they did right after practice. The coach always went ahead whilst the team changed and tidied up. Then they would join him later and even though the man would protest that practice was over, he would always start to lecture them over their receives or Asahi's back attack or something new.

Yamaguchi met Asahi's eyes briefly before flickering down and immediately shooting away. Asahi used to be confused when this happened but not anymore. He knew exactly what Yamaguchi was afraid to look at.

His scar.

The bullet, having carved a diagonal line his flesh, had left an ugly looking red scar that still ached when he stretched. It stood out against his skin, a constant reminder of what had gone down in the gym. It wasn't like the scar was huge or overly disfigured his chest, but it seemed to be amplified a hundred times when people realised a bullet had left the mark.

Surely new rumours would break out about Karasuno now, especially concerning Asahi. Their situation in the gym had been broadcasted all over Miyagi and even in Tokyo. Perhaps even outside Japan. What if this meant that at games, people thought he was the one to kill their captors?! That was what usually happened with the rumours. He would do one thing only to have it twisted around and thrown back at him in a harsher light.

Occasionally, Asahi found himself being recognised, people slowing down to stare at him as he passed, head down and walking quickly. He didn't want anyone to talk to him. He couldn't go back to the gym when it had been like that, no way.

Even though it had been fixed, the hole blasted in the floor filled in and the frame mended, Asahi felt like the fear they had felt lingered. Everytime he saw his marred skin, he felt sick. It had actually happened and now he was scarred for life. The team hated the scar, they couldn't even meet his eyes anymore.

All he could do was hide it from them, pretend he was okay and hope that he never had to show it in public.

**( )**

Perfect. Just like the world had heard his thoughts and turned fate right against him.

Okay, so whose idea was it to have team building exercises at the pool? Maybe he'd tried so hard to forget the existence of his scar that everyone else had too. Surely Suga wouldn't put him through this.

He shot a look over at the ashen haired setter and saw him biting his lip nervously, eyes aimed at the floor. So maybe this wasn't Suga's idea. But who was someone Suga couldn't say no to?

"This is gonna be so much fun!" Hinata cried, already in his yellow boardshorts and grinning at the awaiting pool. "We haven't done something like this as a team before. Think how cool we'll look. Ooooh, can we play water polo?"

Ah, that explained it. Usually Suga could coax the first year out of things but Hinata hadn't been this happy in ages. Oh well, Asahi just wouldn't go in the water. Everything would be fine.

"Asahi, come on," Noya whined. "Everyone's waiting." He gestured with his head to the team in the pool, who were tossing a ball around. His hands were interlocked with Asahi's, trying to drag the strong ace to his feet.

"Noya, I can't." Asahi's heart was performing cartwheels in his chest. Why hadn't he thought to bring a rash top?

"Why not?" Noya suddenly let go, staggering backwards and landing on his backside. There were sniggers from the pool.

Asahi's face burned. He couldn't say it. "I just can't. You know why." He let his eyes flicker downwards. The dawning realisation broke out across Noya's face.

"It'll be alright, Asahi," he said earnestly. "No one will look at you. And we don't care."

"You hate looking at me! Why else would you always all flinch and look away when you see it?" Asahi burst out. "Or...you know, it's just something I've noticed." He stared stubbornly at the floor, preparing for an outburst from Nishinoya. When he didn't hear one, he risked looking up and saw Noya staring sadly at him.

"Do you really think that little of us, Asahi?" he whispered. "Do you really think we would hate you?"

"Noya…"

"We were scared for you!" Noya yelled. "And we're still scared for you. Yes, we hate the scar but it doesn't make you any less of a person. The scar reminds us of our mistakes, how we couldn't help you. But you can _not _think for a second that you should blame yourself. You saved us, Asahi, and we'll never forget that. So wear that scar with pride! Now get your top off and get in the water, dammit!"

There was silence from the pool. No one was laughing this time though Asahi swore he heard a muttered '_finally_' coming from the team's direction.

"Okay." Asahi relented, smiling up at Noya. He slowly stood up, hands clenching the bottom of his shirt. "I'll do it." Noya beamed at him.

Asahi took a deep breath and pulled his shirt off, quickly spinning to shove it in his bag before turning around again and hunching over, still trying to hide it. Noya rolled his eyes.

"Straighten up, you dummy," he laughed. "Come on, the team awaits."

Noya dragged Karasuno's ace to the pool, quickly getting him used to the water by pushing him in when the lifeguard's back was turned. The team acted like everything was normal, tossing the ball around and humouring Hinata's plea for a game of water polo.

Whenever someone looked at Asahi's scar, shock apparent on their face, Noya and Tanaka were there in a second, growling at said person. Daichi would snap at them and Suga would calm the captain down. Tsukishima would laugh and Yamaguchi would follow suit. Ennoshita would face plant and Narita and Kinoshita would laugh and tease him. Hinata would frown before understanding what was happening, paddling over to Kageyama for reassurance and half-hearted insults.

Asahi couldn't help but laugh. This was his team and they had his back one hundred percent of the way.

* * *

**YUU NISHINOYA**

_"__I messed up. I've said it once, I'll say it again. I know nobody blamed me, I know it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't accept that for some reason. I just wanted someone to blame me. I don't know why. I just wanted to apologise and have someone say 'I forgive you' instead of 'it's not your fault'. _I know _it wasn't my fault. But I messed up, and everyone could have suffered for it. That's why I couldn't forgive myself."_

**( )**

The time in the hospital had been hell. It had been pure torture. It was over now, but Nishinoya would never forget the disjointed mix of anger, grief, anxiety and fear that had eaten at his insides like acid whilst he'd waited to hear about Asahi.

The feeling was terrible, and it had only worsened the longer they stayed there. Noya didn't know why it had taken so long for his parents to reach Japan, but a small part of him was glad they had only arrived after Asahi had awoken. He knew they'd have taken him home immediately, and waiting there would have been a hundred times worse.

Another thing he couldn't forget was how reckless he'd been on the day of the incident. He had apologised to Kuroo for hurting his legs and to Tanaka for shouting at him. Both had brushed it off, accepting the apologies with words like, 'you were stressed out' and 'it doesn't matter now'.

It annoyed him that they wouldn't acknowledge the fact that he was in the wrong, but at least they hadn't been like Suga, telling him it wasn't his fault and trying to absorb all the blame onto their own shoulders.

However, he still had one more person to apologise to, and this one had him thinking of what to say days in advance. With Asahi, he'd been able to come right out and say it – relief and exhaustion had him loose-lipped – but this time he needed to prepare the right words, which he still hadn't quite figured out.

Right now he found himself walking back towards the gym, hoping Asahi hadn't already gone home since he'd left his jacket underneath Noya's bag in the club room and the libero was looking to return it.

He poked his head inside the gym, large jacket in tow and called, "Asahi? Did you come in here?" His eyes widened a little when he spotted Daichi and Suga as well as the tall ace and he stepped in awkwardly, hoping he hadn't interrupted something important.

"You left your jacket behind," the libero said, indicating said uniform with a flick of his arm.

"Ah, thanks!" Asahi nodded towards Daichi and Suga, his face capturing an emotion Nishinoya couldn't place. He wondered briefly what he'd missed.

As the ace took his jacket back, Suga called out to Noya. "Did you need anything else, Nishinoya? You're getting home safely?"

The libero nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. You don't need to worry." He was about to turn and leave when something held him back. His gut instincts were telling him _now_. Now was the time to speak up. _But I haven't figured out my speech yet!_

Regardless, he ended up staying right where he was and taking a deep breath. He knew vaguely what he wanted to say. He had a perfect outline in his head. Sure, he might fumble with the wording but as long as he kept to the plan it would be fine.

The third years were all staring at him, the little libero standing by the door and fiddling with his own hands. Their three puzzled gazes met his each time the boy dared to look up at them.

_Relax_, thought Nishinoya, closing his eyes and forcing his hands to a still position by his sides. _You know what to say. Just open your mouth. Just say it. You're making this too hard! Say it already!_

"Da-Daichi!" He was shouting unintentionally, fists curled. "I'm sorry about the thing! It was dumb, being me, but I didn't mean it! I was just trying to do the…you know?!"

He'd already butchered it.

He felt heat forcing its way to his cheeks as the captain looked at him in bafflement. Suga was shuffling anxiously and Asahi just looked concerned.

"I mean, I'm sorry that I kept stepping out of line in the gym, back then," Noya continued, kicking himself mentally because _there was literally one thing I had to say and I screwed it right the way up from the get go_. "I could have ruined all our chances of getting out, and I know you were just trying to look out for everyone but so was I and I get that I was wrong but I still feel like crap for disobeying you so I'm apologising!"

_What was that? Did that even make sense? _The teen cringed, dancing a little on the spot as embarrassment ran rampant through his body.

"Noya," began Daichi, looking partly exasperated and partly amused. "Did you think that speech through beforehand?"

"Well, I tried, but I think that just made it worse." Noya groaned and flicked his head upwards. He could feel his cheeks burning. _This was a terrible idea. _"I'm really sorry, Daichi. I wasn't thinking."

"I forgive you."

"And don't just say it wasn't my fault! Like, I know I couldn't have made the whole thing happen, but I could have made it a lot worse! I put us all in danger, and I'm really sorry about it." Noya paused, took a second to digest Daichi's words. "Wait, what?"

"It's okay," said Daichi. He blinked, not looking away. "I forgive you."

"S-so you accept I messed up?"

The captain nodded, folding his arms. "Everyone messes up, Nishinoya. Having the grace to apologise for it means more than anything, honestly."

"And…and you're not mad?" the libero asked with a childish meekness so unlike himself it almost shocked him.

"How could I be?" asked Daichi. "You only did what you thought was right, didn't you? It was dangerous, but your fire gave us all a little hope, if nothing else. I won't deny that. Nishinoya, the only thing that would make me truly mad at you would be if you'd completely given up on us."

Noya felt his throat tighten as Daichi kept talking and before he knew it he was staring at the ground, fighting back grateful tears.

"You fought for us harder than anyone else," finished Daichi. "There's no way I could hate you for that. I forgive you."

"We all do," put in Suga softly, before cracking a hesitant grin. "I'll second your noble speech, Captain."

"You don't have to keep saying sorry, Nishinoya," mumbled Asahi. "I don't know about the others, but I forgave you before you even said anything. The way you were acting made it clear enough, you know…"

Noya nodded quickly, sucking a breath in through his teeth. "Thanks," he choked out. "That's all I wanted to hear."

Then he turned and bolted outside, howling a wild cheer into the evening air. He was allowed to celebrate now, allowed to shed these happy tears. Because they were alive and they would recover and they forgave him and more importantly than anything else they were _free, _free as the crows in the sky.

* * *

**KOUSHI SUGAWARA**

_"__I can't honestly say to this very day that I'm over what happened, that I've put it behind me and moved on. It still haunts my dreams, still has me constantly looking over my shoulder. Mum got me some professional help and the team was always there but in the end, I made a choice. I had to go see the man who had done this to me. Who'd done this to _us_."_

**( )**

"I'll see you next week, Sugawara," Ms Hitomi capped her pen and gave him a warm smile. Remember to record your nightmares if you can."

"Of course," Suga gave a slight smile and got up. "Have a nice day Ms Hitomi,"

"Ah, Sugawara! Wait just a moment." His therapist stood up. "Have you given any thought to what I offered last week?"

"Not really," he admitted. He'd actually done his best _not _to think about it.

"Just remember to consider it, okay?" She gave him a wave as he left, entering the waiting area where his mum sat, flipping through a magazine.

"Koushi," she got to her feet. "How was your session?"

Suga shrugged. "It was okay."

"Let's pick up something on the way home." She turned to leave. "My treat."

"Sounds good." Suga followed her to their car, a small silver one that had seen better days. Money was often tight with them and now, with his mum working hard with lawyers and policemen, it was even harder. They scrimped and saved so much that takeout was nothing special these days, it was cheap and filling after all. But he still forced a smile. Suga was trying to rebuild his relationship with his mum, he really was.

He didn't think she thought anything was wrong between the two, especially with the reunion they'd had when the police had finally let the two of them go.

**( )**

_"__You're free to go kid," a grim police officer led him to the door of the interview room. "Thank you for your time."_

_"__It was nothing," Suga muttered automatically. He gave a polite bow and left, hoping against all hope that they wouldn't call him in again to talk about the horrifying events again._

_The meeting had lasted for nearly the remainder of the day and night was taking hold. Suga was desperate to get back to the hospital and sit with Asahi. He was sure to run into at least one of the team there._

_He reached the door that would set him free from the clutches of the police station and he couldn't help but stop, staring out into the night. _

_And that was when he heard her._

_"__Koushi…"_

_He turned and his eyes widened. There, at the entrance to the corridor he'd just left, was his mother. He knew she'd been with the police all day and he hadn't expected her to be let out for a while. He hadn't been planning on going home, just heading straight to the hospital._

_But now… Seeing his mother standing there had frozen him in his tracks. She looked...like she had before his father had disappeared. Standing up straight, hair neat and wavy, clothes perfect to the point that even at her age, she could pass for someone in their mid twenties._

_"__Koushi!" she called again, even louder this time. "Koushi…"_

_"__Mum…" he whispered. He took one step forward and then another. And then he was running and she was running and it was almost like he was five years old again without a care in the world. He was in her arms and she was holding him tighter than he ever remembered her doing before. _

_"__You're safe," she whispered into his ear. "They told me they were but they wouldn't let me see you. You're safe. I'm so glad. I'm so glad."_

_Suga said nothing, just twisted his fingers in her silk blouse and felt for a brief moment, his anger and resentment for her flow away and relief and love settle in its place._

_Maybe he could get through this._

**( )**

Five days had passed after that and it had become obvious that he wasn't going to be able to get through this. Kuroo and Kenma had left and Asahi had been healing well but nightmares had kept Suga awake and fear had kept him jittery and nervous.

It was Daichi who had persuaded him to get professional help and Suga was unsure how to feel about that. His mum was acting so kind to him but she was reluctant to talk. He had tried to approach her but she'd brushed him aside.

_"__You're so strong, Koushi. I'm sure you can do this."_

He'd realised she was still scared as well, still broken over the fact that the man she'd loved had done such a thing. But he couldn't help but hate her for ignoring his pain. Maybe hate was too strong a word. Resent seemed to fit.

She'd been so shocked when he spoke of seeing a therapist. She'd arranged it all of course and he was seeing Ms Hitomi once a week now for an hour and a half but she still wouldn't open up to him and he couldn't open up to her.

Suga tried his hardest to pretend everything was fine, that he was only seeing the therapist for reassurance. This always brought a smile to her face. She was smiling now, humming away to herself as she denied everything that had gone wrong in their life.

At this point, he wondered, _am I something that went wrong in your life?_

The next day at school, he sat with Daichi and Asahi at lunch. The ace was still not allowed to participate in practice but he was okay to be back at school.

Daichi and Asahi chatted away about nothing in particular and it seemed to Suga like they were trying their hardest to avoid talking about the gym. Like everything else going on, he wasn't sure how to feel about it. His mind was in conflict, contradicting every thought. He just didn't know how to feel.

"How was your weekend Suga?" Asahi asked, obviously making an effort to bring Suga into the conversation.

"I saw Ms Hitomi again," he said carefully, munching on a carrot. "She…made a suggestion."

"Suggestion?" Daichi broke in.

"She wants me to visit Taro." Suga set his lunch down. "You know, let my fear and anger out in a healthy way."

"What?" Daichi's mouth fell open in a nearly comical manner. Suga inwardly smiled, glad that there was no food in there. "You're kidding, right?"

"No," Suga stared at his carrot. "She thinks it would be beneficial."

"And have you agreed to it?" Asahi asked once Daichi had stopped choking on nothing.

"I think I might." Suga finally looked up. "I didn't think about it at all when she first offered. But…I think I need to face my father."

"Then I'm coming with you," Daichi said firmly. His face was akin to the one the team saw in games. It was the 'you can't argue with me' expression. Luckily, Suga was the only person who could truly stand up to Daichi.

"No, Daichi. I really don't think that would be for the best," Suga said firmly. "Please, just trust me on this. I know it's probably selfish and I know you want to help but this is something I need to do on my own."

Daichi hesitated, opened his mouth briefly before shutting it tightly. He gave a small nod and a weight lifted off of Suga's chest.

There was a slight cough and both Suga and Daichi's eyes flew over to Asahi who had also abandoned his food and looking like he desperately wanted to speak.

"Suga… You see, uh… I know what y-you said, and it's about that kind of feeling… Wait, I mean, you'll probably say no…so I shouldn't be even thinking about this so why I'm even asking, I don't know but like, oh, and um—"

"Just spit it out," Daichi snapped. To Suga, it seemed like he was still grumpy about not being allowed to go with him.

"I want to go with you and see Taro," Asahi steeled himself and said with the determination usually only present in him on the court.

"Asahi…"

"No, please. I need to do this." His hand drifted down to where his scar was hidden by his shirt. "I was the one Taro shot. I… I've really wanted to speak with him too. My mum said she doesn't want me anywhere near him, but dad thinks it's a good idea."

"If Asahi's going then I'm going," Daichi jumped in.

"Daichi, please!" Suga couldn't help but yell. It was like his tension had been building up, bubbling like water on a stove and he'd finally let it overflow. It just snapped inside of him. "You can't come. I don't need you seeing me there. And despite how calm you can be, you _will _lose it when you see Taro. I know you will! I'm begging you right now, please don't come with me!"

His words faded and was replaced with silence. Daichi and Asahi stared at him. He shifted awkwardly, deciding to look down at his food again. Daichi was going to get mad at him. He'd overstepped his boundaries.

"If that's what you want Suga, I won't go," Daichi said quietly after what seemed like years. "But…"

"Suga, please. I need to go with you. I need to see Taro," Asahi pleaded. Suga let his eyes meet the ace's. He saw the pain in his eyes and his hands twitching.

But he also heard the determination and saw the way he was holding himself. He was desperate to do this. Suga bit his lip, barely stopping himself before he broke the skin. It would be so nice to have Asahi at his side offering the same support he felt on the court.

It would be so easy to just say yes.

But would it be fair? He'd just shut Daichi down. And if he said yes to Asahi, Daichi would probably start asking again. But Asahi wouldn't go off at Taro, he wouldn't make things hard for Suga.

"You can come, Asahi." He surrendered. "I'll talk to Ms Hitomi and we'll work a time out. I'll be glad to have you by my side."

Suga snuck a quick look at Daichi and was surprised to see that his best friend was smiling.

"You're very smart," he praised, scratching his head concededly. "I'm not happy with it, but if you're this confident then I know you've made the right decision."

**( )**

One week and two days later and Suga was certain that he hadn't made the right decision. His stomach churned and he felt the bitter taste of vomit at the back of his throat. Asahi was a shaking mess at his side and the policewoman looked like she was about to ask them to leave.

Instead, she told them, "Mr Sugawara will be here soon," and proceeded to offer them tea, coffee and biscuits. They both declined. Suga kept his eyes fixed on the two chairs on the other side of the table. His father would soon be sitting there, handcuffed and a policeman beside him in case he tried anything.

Asahi's dad and Suga's mum were outside as well, forbidden from entering as the meeting was solely for Suga and Asahi. Ms Hitomi was also there, against Suga's wishes.

A radio crackled at the policewoman's belt and she unclipped it to listen to the message.

"Mr Sugawara is on his way," she reported. "Now I can't leave and neither can his guard so I hope you don't mind us hearing what you have to say."

"It's okay," Suga answered for the both of them. He would just have to stay calm and hope that Asahi did the same.

They only had to wait a few more minutes before the door opened and Taro was led in, a burly policeman directly behind him. His hands were cuffed in front of him and his face was downcast. Suga felt his throat dry up instantly and he sucked in a breath.

Taro looked up at this and horror filled Suga's heart. His father was smiling. His eyes were alight with joy. It was like seeing a madman! He shivered, recoiling back in his chair as Taro was led to his seat. His hands were uncuffed and exchanged for a different pair that were attached to the table.

_Click._

_Click._

He was stuck there now, trapped with nowhere to go. And Suga was forced to face him. Not really forced, since this was his idea, but it felt a lot like it. His eyes met his father's and for a brief moment, it felt like Suga was the one chained to the table.

"Hello, son," Taro began, a sly smile on his face. "Who's your friend?"

"You know perfectly well who he is," Suga retorted quietly.

Taro raised an eyebrow.

In the gym, Taro had been cruel and hasty and overly aggressive. At the moment though, he seemed sneaky and cunning. It unnerved Suga. He didn't know what to expect.

It wasn't _like _looking at a madman. That's exactly what was happening.

"So, why have you come to see me?" Taro asked, still smiling.

"We need to talk to you properly." Suga prayed that his voice wouldn't waver. "Not just through threats in a gym."

"You're here. Let's talk," Taro invited.

"I don't believe what you said in the gym," Suga said calmly. "About why you wanted to take me."

"A man takes what is his," Taro said smoothly, though Suga could have sworn he'd faltered for a brief moment. "And you are mine."

"You never cared about me," Suga insisted. "I don't see why you had to go to all that trouble."

"I had every right to you and your damn mother didn't give a shit about you," Taro hissed.

"Don't you dare bring my mother into this!" Suga yelled, losing his shaky grip on calmness. "You lost the right to talk about her when you left. Stop playing around with your stupid excuses and tell me what the hell you were doing at my school!"

"I owe you _nothing_." Taro sat back in his chair.

"You owe me an _answer_." Suga mimicked his father. "You see dad, you lost. I'm right here and you're in jail, somewhere you were determined not to end up. And my friend next to me? He's the boy you shot. The one you were going to kill. And he's alive."

"Suga," Asahi began uncertainly but he was on a roll now and he wouldn't stop. Not until everything became clear.

"What is so special about me? Why did you go to such lengths when the only conclusion was failure? You didn't really expect to be able to get me out of there, did you?"

"You said you'd kill someone if the police burst in," Asahi said quietly. Suga was surprised he was even speaking at all. "Though I guess…you didn't really fail in that aspect."

Of course! Komatsu! Suga bit his lip harshly at the thought of the man. Sure, he'd been selfish and threatened them but he'd done his best to help them and in the end, died for Noya. Suga owed him the world.

"You stupid brats!" Taro roared suddenly and moved as if to lunge across the table. Asahi skidded backwards in his chair with a noise so screechy it sent shivers up Suga's side. The policeman at Taro's side clamped a giant hand down on his shoulder and the policewoman moved from the corner, now standing right next to Suga.

"You don't mention his name! You have no right to!" Taro shouted. "He was my partner and he died for your stupid short friend! You think I'm just going to sit here and humour you?! Well, you're wrong!"

"Komatsu was your friend," Suga whispered. "Aren't you upset?"

"Of course I'm upset! I'm furious! Komatsu is dead and I killed him!" Taro was almost spitting at them by now. If this continued, the meeting would be brought to an end without Suga getting any answers and he hadn't even asked the big question yet. "No, you killed him. You damn brats…"

"We should wrap this up." The policewoman's hand strayed to her radio.

"No!" Suga burst out. "Please, just give us a little longer. I need some answers."

"Ten minutes," the woman said after a brief pause.

"Well, I ain't talking anymore," Taro said with a hint of irritated smugness.

"Of course you are," Suga said with an equally sour tone. "Because I know you now. You love to boast. So what exactly did you have in mind when you dragged Komatsu into your mess?"

"Suga, that's crossing the line," Asahi hissed. Dimly, Suga was aware that he was. But didn't he have a right to know? It was tearing him up on the inside. He wasn't worth a person's life. So why?

"Why?" he spat, getting worked up again. "Why am I so damn special to you? Why was I worth enough to you that you'd kill to get your hands on me?"

"Don't think so highly of yourself," Taro scoffed. "No one was going to die."

"Weren't they?" Suga dug his nails into his legs. "What were you going to do with Kenma when you pulled him out? Take him with us? Or were you going to shoot him and run for it?"

"You don't know that." Taro's eyes narrowed. He'd obviously worked out who Kenma was.

"So tell me then!" Suga was on his feet in a second, hands slammed down on the table with a thundering _clap_. "Tell me and then I'll know."

"Suga," Asahi's hushed voice broke the silence. It couldn't push it away however, and it fell quiet again.

And then Taro started laughing. He bent over as far as he could go and laughed for a good minute or so.

"You're so much like your damned mother," he said finally, straightening up. "Such a strong spirit. I hate people who don't give in, people like you and her. I wanted to break that spirit. I wanted to crush it to pieces. And I was going to succeed."

"You're sick," Suga whispered as it dawned on him. "You're sick. You're sick and twisted and I hate you! Was all of this about breaking mum?"

"And you." Taro laughed. "I was going to break you too, Koushi. And I have. I can see it in your eyes."

_Broken… Was he really broken?_

"I've won."

"No." Suga clenched his fists. "No, you haven't. Because I'm stronger than this and the team is stronger than this. Even mum is stronger than this. I know I have a loving mother and supportive friends who are there for me no matter what. That's the difference between us, _Taro_. You only focused on mum and me. You never stopped to think that we're not alone."

He heard Asahi sniffling in the background, but Suga's attention was on the Taro, the man he refused to acknowledge as his father anymore.

"So, when you think you've won, think again. If all of this was to break mum and me, then it's pretty obvious you've failed." Suga sat back down. "Sorry, Taro. I really am. You were too weak to break us."

"Liar!" Taro lunged across the table as far as the cuffs would let him, stopping just short of Suga and Asahi, the latter pushing his chair back even further.

Nobody moved.

"I think it's time you left," the policewoman said eventually.

"Thank you for letting us do this." Suga bowed politely. "Sorry I lost my temper."

"Oh, it's okay," the woman led them to the door, Asahi still quaking and sniffing. "Just head back the way you came. I need to help my partner get Mr Sugawara back to his cell."

"Asahi," Suga said as they walked down the corridor together to where their parents were. "Thank you for doing that. I know I kind of took control and you probably had a lot of things to say. Sorry."

"No," Asahi said evenly which surprised Suga. "I really just needed to face him and realise that he was powerless to hurt me or any of us again. That was all. Thank you for letting me come."

"To be honest," Suga hummed as they walked. "I wasn't very sure about letting you come. But...you seemed so strong when you asked me that I couldn't say no." He turned to Asahi. "It's nice to see you like that." He kept walking, the door at the end of the corridor in sight when he realised that Asahi wasn't beside him anymore.

"Has seeing your dad fixed your problems, Suga?" Asahi asked from where he'd stopped.

"Taro," Suga corrected. "He's not my dad. He never really was. He lost the right long ago but I clung to it like some sort of comfort so I could tell other kids that I did have a father. But, to answer your question, there's no way it fixed me completely. However, it's a form of closure. I can start moving forward now. I'm determined to prove to Taro that he didn't break me."

He pushed open the door to where their parents were waiting.

"Karasuno would never let themselves lose to the likes of him!"

**( )**

"Are you going to copy what your mum is doing?" Daichi asked as they packed up after practice one day. "Change your last name to her maiden name? I mean, no one would blame you."

"Eh?" Hinata popped up beside the two third years even though he was meant to be rolling up the net with Kageyama. "But then Suga won't be Suga anymore. He'll be…whatever his new name is."

"No," Suga reached out and ruffled Hinata's hair. "I thought about this a lot and I'm keeping my name. After all, Taro dragged it through the mud and it's up to me to redeem it." He smiled brightly at everyone who'd stopped working to look at him. "Plus," he added with a wink. "I rather like being Suga."

* * *

**There we are, everyone! Leave us a review and let us know you're enjoying, if you have time!**


	15. Epilogue

**HELLO EVERYONE SUPER SUPER SORRY ABOUT EVERYTHING! ! So much was happening that we neglected the story for a while, but we're here now and here's the last chapter! Everyone's lovely reviews have been read and appreciated, and thank you everyone for your kind words! It sounds mean to also say thank you for your tears, haha, but I'm glad we could affect you with our little story.**

** (And to LittleChomper, there's a little Inuoka cameo. It's not much but I hope that will be enough!)**

**Anyways, thank you everyone for following us up to the end! It's been a great journey for us, so I hope that it was fun for you as well. If you remember this story from time to time, I'll be thankful for our little impact on your life. 'Til next time**

**\- Zakkie**

**Even though Zakkie did, I want to thank you all again for reading our story. I remember when we first had the idea and how hard we worked on it and I'm so happy that so many people read it and enjoyed it. It means a lot to both of us. Hopefully see you all again for another story!**

**\- Toph**

**( )**

"Practise tournament!" breathed Hinata, eyes shining. "Practise tournament!"

"Calm down, Hinata," tried Ennoshita as the team walked out of the school gates towards the bus. "It's not really a tournament of any kind."

"But it's almost a tournament!" he protested, jiggling between two feet. "Really almost! Ohh… Suddenly I'm nervous…"

"Dumbass," grunted Kageyama. "It's only a few practise matches."

"Still…!"

"Just don't go getting too worked up about it," chided Suga, swinging his sports bag in his arms. "We've got a whole bus journey ahead."

"Yeah, and I only brought one pair of shorts!" Tanaka laughed, then immediately sobered. "But seriously though, I don't have spares today. Please don't barf on me."

"I-I would never…" Hinata looked down, twisting his lips as Takeda chuckled beside him. "Not on purpose, anyway."

"Just try not to think about it and the feeling will go away. That's what I do," mumbled Asahi. "Your friend from Nekoma will be there, right?"

"Yeah!"

"Let's get going then." Takeda clapped his hands and before chatter broke out again, the team were ushered onto the bus and away. The journey took a while, with a few enthusiastic travel songs from Tanaka and Nishinoya (who eventually had their heads conked together by a certain vice-captain who had gotten just a little too fed up with 'The Wheels on the Bus').

A good distance away from Karasuno, they reached their destination. A few other clubs were milling around outside, some uniforms familiar and some new to the eye. The team spilled out of the bus in a sleepy-legged bundle of black and white, giving the more energetic members of the team the opportunity to immediately initiate a game of tag.

"Alright, alright, listen up!" called Ukai, catching their attention just as Suga snagged Noya's collar on his third lap of the parking lot outside the courts they were using. "There are quite a few other teams here today, from a lot of different regions. It'll be great to practise against some fresh opponents. Everyone on your best behaviour, right?"

"Right!" chorused the students and less than two seconds later Tanaka jabbed Noya in the ribs and dashed between the other players in a smaller continuation of their game.

"Guys, come on," said Takeda. "You're not grade schoolers anymore."

"Let them stretch their legs," replied Suga, and Shimizu nodded as Nishinoya began to scale Asahi's back. "They'll smarten up by the time we get over there if they know what's best for them."

Suga's prediction came true, at least, to the extent of 'sensible' that the noisy students understood. They weren't sprinting up and down the corridors of the court building, and that was enough to please Ukai and Takeda.

Despite their relative peacefulness, rumours began to fly about the team like they normally did.

"What school is that? Torino? Karasuno? From all the way out there? Never heard of them before…"

"I heard they were strong once. They have some good players."

"They don't look all that strong… We might have a chance of beating some nobodies like them a few times, huh?"

But then, different things, worse things, started to weave their way into the mix.

"Never heard of Karasuno? Do you live under a rock? That was the team that got held in their school gym back then! The gun hostages!"

"Are you sure? I heard it was the basketball team, because one of the students was huge enough to take on the gunmen but he ended up getting shot after he killed one of the five of 'em."

"No, it was definitely volleyball. That guy though, the long-haired one – he must be the one who knocked off the gunmen. There were at least seven of them, and I heard he beat them up with his bare hands!"

Naturally, Asahi took the brunt of the whisperings. He tried to twist his face into a mask, but his eyes darted evasively and he had to bite his lip to stop it from trembling.

It wasn't long before the rumours spread to the other team members. Words flew like a scattering flock of birds and soon enough, Karasuno found themselves wading through a tangle of assumptions, lies and exaggerations.

"It was someone in the team's dad. It must be that baldy guy though, don't you think he looks shifty? He was probably trying to get his teammates bumped off or something."

"Was it a terrorist attack? Do you think one of them is actually in a cult? Like what about that little guy? His hair's so bright, he's gotta be a foreigner! I bet he's the one behind it."

"Him? Are you kidding me? I don't think anyone's a spy or anything. It was just something that happened. But seriously, weren't there only two guys? That captain looks solid enough to take one on, at least, and with those tall guys there… He should have done something. I know I wouldn't have just sat around 'til the police came in."

"Don't be ridiculous! They had guns! The police were the only option. Their teacher should have done something, though. But did you know Nekoma's number one and five were there as well? Yeah, 'cause of them the whole Tokyo division got involved!"

"Their manager wasn't involved, right? Good. They've gotta be all messed up in the head from that. I'd quit if I were them. Their grey-haired member looks twitchy like that, doesn't he? And what do you make of Nekoma's captain? It's obvious he's wrecked…"

Takeda and Ukai moved off to sign the team's name in, leaving them in their empty part of the foyer full of clubs. The teacher cast a worried glance back at the team, but no-one was looking.

"They're talking about us," whispered Hinata, and not even Kageyama picked on him for this obvious statement.

"Do they really think I killed seven people?" fretted Asahi, wringing his wrists. "I couldn't even kill a moth… I'm actually worthless."

"Nobody said you were worthless, Asahi," Daichi assured him tensely, but it wasn't the tone of annoyance he usually reserved for berating the ace's self-deprecation. He just sounded vaguely threatened.

"They're all morons," grumbled Tsukishima, sneering. "Who do they think they are to talk about us like that?"

"Rumours will fly," mumbled Ennoshita. "We all knew that before we even got here. You shouldn't let them get to you."

"They're just so much worse than we were expecting." Nishinoya looked around the building, brow furrowed. "I wish I could just stand up and tell them all what really happened!"

"I don't think that would be a good plan," put in Suga. "No matter how much I want them to know we didn't really do all those things, I'm not really a fan of the idea of people wanting to poke at Asahi's scar, go off bothering poor Kuroo and Kenma or asking if I'm genetically a psychopath."

Nobody really knew what to say in reply to this, so they just waited for the adults to return in silence.

Meanwhile, in another part of the foyer, the rumours had caught the ear of another person indirectly involved with the incident.

"N-nine people?" Bokuto veritably squawked, flicking his head from side to side as he looked for confirmation. "That can't be right. Kuroo never said anything about that many gunmen… And I'm pretty sure he didn't shoot anyone either."

"I dunno." Konoha shrugged. "Just what I heard."

"Yeah, well… Kuroo wouldn't lie to me. Right, Akaashi?"

The setter shook his head. "I don't think so. And I saw the news report. There were only two gunmen, and only one of them died."

"So the fifteenth grader did snuff someone…" Someone from another team swallowed nervously and looked in Asahi's direction.

"Kuroo said it was one of the bad guys that shot the other one," retorted Bokuto stubbornly. "And he hasn't lied to me yet. Well, he does sometimes, but not about anything serious… I don't think he'd lie about something like this. He wouldn't lie about that, would he?"

Akaashi shook his head a second time. "I saw that on the news as well. And no, I don't think Kuroo would lie about it."

Bokuto shifted restlessly on the spot, eyeing the Karasuno team. "Argh… The whole thing is ticking me off! I wish everyone would just stop making stuff up! They're exaggerating everything and it's so stupid!"

"Coming from you, captain…"

Bokuto ignored the remark and kept going. "I mean, they've gotta be pissed off, don't they? This is their team that's getting badmouthed like that. Kuroo and Kenma too. And they must have thought it was all over by now, and people keep bringing it up. You know, I'm gonna march over there and tell them something."

"Bokuto, you don't even know them," Akaashi pointed out. "And besides, what are you going to say?"

"I dunno! Something cool!"

"Leave them to themselves." Akaashi watched Bokuto drop back onto the bench and continue to twist agitatedly. "You know how Kuroo described that team. If you trust his recount well enough, trust that they'll be strong enough to sort themselves out. They survived guns, after all."

This sentiment spread through the Fukurodani team and the team they were sitting with, slowly winding its way across the foyer until everyone was whispering about the rumoured integral strength of the Karasuno Volleyball Club and the shady Nekoma duo.

Some of the more extreme fabrications were eradicated, and sympathy began to take their place.

"I feel kinda bad for them. Maybe we should go easy on those teams?"

"I thought they might be an easy win, but…if they've really been through all that…"

"We should just be careful around them. Don't talk to them."

In a way, it was almost worse than before.

In yet another part of the foyer, a team clad in blue and white had been listening in on all of the action and someone had finally asked the opinion of the captain.

"What are you talking about?" he said. "They seem fine to me. The only thing that's bothering them is how much everyone's talking about them!"

"But everything they went through…"

"It's got nothing to do with why they're here now, does it? They came to play volleyball, same as us. What does it matter what happened before they got here?" A smirk twitched his lips upwards and his teammates looked on, puzzled. "And anyways, there's no way I'm taking it easy on my dear underclassman."

"Oikawa…"

"Yes, Iwa?"

The ace shook his head. "You know what, never mind it. You go on whatever crazy spiel you want."

"So mean, as usual." Tooru 'Grand King' Oikawa pouted, but it was quickly pushed off in favour of an all-knowing nod. "If you all don't believe what I'm saying, I can prove it."

"Prove what, exactly?" queried Matsukawa.

"The fact that they're not a nervous wreck of a team here for us to pity or gossip about," Oikawa proclaimed, rising to his feet.

"Captain, what—" Kindaichi was cut off by Iwaizumi standing as well.

"Oikawa, you'd better not be doing something stupid, because I will kick your knee out of action again."

"Relax, Iwa," the setter said with an easy-going grin. "This is all for a good cause. And if something bad happens, I'll swallow my words."

"You'll swallow my fist, more like," muttered Iwaizumi as his captain sauntered off.

"To-o-obio!"

Oikawa's call was loud enough that it bounced all around the foyer, catching the attention of many onlookers and bringing down the overall volume to a hushed murmur.

"Long time no see!" he continued, approaching Karasuno whilst everyone else stared at him like he was heading up to a live landmine. "And all of Tobio's team as well! It's been a while, hey?"

"It has," replied Kageyama, his usual glare set in motion.

"Grand King!" mouthed Hinata conspicuously, sidling up next to his teammate and staring intensely.

"It looks like we'll be opponents again today," began Oikawa conversationally, ignoring the baffled looks he was getting from bystanders. "At least, I hope we will. I'm looking forward to seeing how much you've improved! All of you, I mean."

He flashed a cocky smile and thick, cloying silence followed.

"I'm gonna kick his teeth out," muttered Iwaizumi to himself, but the effect of the line was ruined by the way his lips twisted worriedly. He hated seeing his friend's confidence drag him into messy situations, especially if he ended up taking a fall for his pride.

Most of Karasuno's eyes were on Kageyama, and a few were on Oikawa. Asahi looked the most surprised, flicking between the two.

Kageyama looked to Daichi, who blinked impassively and shrugged as if to say, I think you can handle this one.

Tanaka and Noya had extended their limbs across the club's area, effectively cordoning off a small zone for Shimizu. They'd seen Oikawa trying to talk to her once. Despite this familiar action, their faces were stormy in a way that indicated they had something else on their minds other than protecting their precious manager.

The other second years shrank into themselves, not quite sure how to react. Next to them, Tsukishima was admiring the carpet and Yamaguchi admiring him doing that.

Suga's expression was unreadable. He just looked intent on watching them.

On the other side of the foyer, Nekoma High were looking on curiously. Surprisingly enough, Kenma and Kuroo were listening less than attentively.

"What do you two make of that?" asked Yaku quietly, motioning with a thumb.

"Not that interesting," replied Kenma softly, tapping away at some puzzle game. A suspenseful music was drifting from his Ds.

"What he means to say is we know exactly what's going to happen," Kuroo put in. "Even though it took us a while to get back on our feet, we did it, didn't we? There are a lot more of them than us, so I don't doubt they recovered even faster than we did. Wouldn't you say, Kenma?"

Kenma tapped at his screen, unblinking.

"There's no way Karasuno is going to just shy away from this. They're not weak."

Kageyama rose then and Hinata quickly scrambled up after him. "If that's what you want, you can see it on the court," growled Kageyama. "Bring it on."

"We'll be coming at you one hundred percent!" added Hinata boldly, from where he hid a little way behind his teammate.

That was all it took to prompt Tanaka and Noya to their feet.

"Come at us, Mr Grand King!"

"Yeah, yeah! We'll bring you right down!"

"Right down!" chirped Hinata aggressively.

"I'll echo that enthusiasm," said Daichi from the floor with a threatening smile. "You can expect full throttle from us. Right?"

"Definitely." Everyone nodded except Tsukishima, who just sort of looked up.

Back with Nekoma, Kenma's Ds flicked to a different tune as a bold 'CORRECT' slid up onto the top screen. "Consider this puzzle solved," said the man in the game.

"What'd we tell you?" Kuroo smirked and rested his hand on his chin. "They're a strong team."

"But not stronger than we are," insisted Yaku, bouncing a fist of his captain's shoulder. "Right, captain?"

"'Course not," replied the third year, wrapping his arm around Kenma's shoulders.

The setter stiffened, looking up at his friend. Most of Nekoma stared with him.

"What?"

"You haven't done that in a long time," mumbled Inuoka.

"Oh?" Kuroo flashed his teeth again. "Wonder why."

Yaku didn't feel the need to point out that the whole team already knew the reason Kuroo's physical affection had been so restrained, and they knew the reason for his recovery too – support, teamwork and a touch of friendly competition.

There was no way Kuroo was going to let Sawamura beat him to the punch, even in such a twisted contest.

"That's right," said Suga lowly as Oikawa strode off, scolded by Iwaizumi for 'making a spectacle of himself'. "We came here to win, right? What's the point of getting thrown off by all the rumours?"

"Right, right!" burst in Nishinoya. "That's true!"

"What's on court and off are worlds apart! Let's forget it all and play!" added Tanaka boisterously.

"We should never be all depressed when we play!" Hinata butted in. "Right?"

A series of affirmative nods followed this, with an eye roll from Tsukishima. "It's a nice distraction, at least," he said.

"This whole hostage thing was a distraction from what I wanted," grumbled Kageyama. "You know how many sessions of training we missed?"

"Like, five!" interjected Hinata.

That was met with another silence, but not a tense or unhappy one. It was the return of the regular fondness that followed the pair's united enthusiasm.

Suga grinned and mussed Kageyama's hair roughly, a habit he'd taken to pulling out with increasing frequency of late. "Do you two think about anything else?"

"Not really," admitted Hinata. "Sort of."

"No," answered Kageyama.

"You talked a lot of smack about beating Aoba Josai just now, but we really don't know if we're even going to play against them today," said Asahi with a nervous frown. "The thought of it is kinda enough for me, to be honest."

"Don't be a baby," scolded Daichi and he punched the ace in the arm for good measure.

"I'm not…" Asahi trailed off when he realised the attention had shifted away from him.

The focus was now on Yamaguchi, who was tapping his foot against the floor anxiously. He was biting his lip, a glimmer of quivering zeal in his eyes.

"I want us to play them," he said fervently. "I really want us to win today."

"Naturally!" laughed Suga. "We should be wanting to win every day!"

"And we should," added Kageyama.

"We will," finished Daichi. "Can't win them all, but we can sure as hell try. And you never know, we might get lucky."

"Yeah!"

"We're gonna win for sure!"

"Karasuno, fight!"

**( )**

Not all things can be rebuilt.

But then again, not all things can't.

A house with weak foundations is destined to crumble in against itself. Even one with the standard strength will collapse if you push it hard enough.

But after that, after everything falls down, it's entirely possible to clear away the rubble, toss away the bad memories, let it go and start afresh.

Then, with that flat land, you can build a new building. A tower, a castle, a gym, a home.

Sure, you could build it back up exactly the way it was before, but that's difficult and there will always be a piece or two you can never truly replace.

That's why most people tend to build back up with a tougher structure, learn from the faults of the past and create something better.

Something stronger.

Something with a core that can never be broken.

And that's just what those twelve people did.


End file.
